Karachi: The mercury is likely to soar in Karachi over the next three days. The MET Office on Saturday said that temperature would rise to 36 to 38 degrees Celsius between Sunday (March 25) and Tuesday. However, Met Office Director Shahid Abbas said the temperature would most likely not cause much trouble for citizens due to low humidity. He said the temperature would start decreasing from Wednesday due to sea breeze. The Met office also issued precautions to beat the heat this summer. It advised people to try to stay indoors. “If people need to go outside they should not spend extended amount of time without shade or clothes that expose skin to the sun.” Moreover, it asked people to wear linen, cotton, silk, or other breathable fabrics. “Keep your clothing loose and breezy, so you don’t feel suffocated in the humid heat.” Drinking more water was also recommended. In April 2017, a severe heat wave with temperatures as high as 51 degree C (124 degree F) hit Pakistan, especially its southern parts. This heat wave broke the old temperature records of many cities in the country for the month of April. Larkana, a city in the southern province of Sindh, experienced the highest maximum temperature of 51.0 degree C on April 20. In 2015, a severe heat wave with temperatures as high as 49 degree C (120 degree F) caused the deaths of about 2,000 people from dehydration and heat stroke, mostly in Sindh and its capital city, Karachi. The heat wave also claimed the lives of zoo animals and countless agricultural livestock. The event followed a separate heat wave in neighboring India that killed 2,500 people in May 2015. Published in Daily Times, March 25th 2018.