KARACHI (National Times)- With the plains of Sindh and Punjab gripped by the ongoing heatwave, Shaheed Benazirabad in Sindh remained the hottest place in Pakistan as the mercury shot up to 49.5 degrees Celsius amid hours-long power outages across the country, The News reported Monday, citing Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) officials.

Besides Shaheed Benazirabad, “other cities of interior Sindh also witnessed extremely hot and dry weather with 49°C in Jacobabad, 48.5°C in Mohenjodaro and 48°C in Larkana, Sakrand and Padidan on Sunday” under the influence of an intense heatwave in Sindh, a Met department official said.

Meanwhile, the highest temperature in Karachi was recorded at 39° on Sunday.

The entire country sweated as different cities reported hours of unannounced load-shedding and power cuts amid extremely high temperatures. The citizens said they were unable to use generators for domestic power generation due to high fuel costs.

“It is like living in hell these days in Nawabshah with no power most of the day and night. The mercury touched 50°C in the day in Nawabshah and even at night, it is 45°C in the city while don’t have power at the moment,” Najaf Raza, a journalist from Balochistan said.

In Punjab, Rahim Yar Khan remained the hottest place with the maximum temperature of 47.5°C, PMD officials said adding that Bahawalpur experienced 47°C, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Sargodha and Jehlum 45°C while temperature in Lahore remained at 42°C.

In Balochistan, Sibbi remained the hottest place with 47°C followed by Turbat with 43°C while in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dera Ismail Khan remained the hottest place with 45°C followed by Peshawar and Bannu with 42°C in each city.

Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir remained the hottest place with maximum temperature of 41°C, PMD officials said adding that even in Islamabad, maximum temperature of 41°C was recorded on Sunday.

The PMD officials predicted similar weather in the plains of Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan with very hot and dry weather, saying in most of the cities of Sindh, the maximum temperature is expected to remain above 40°C while in cities like Nawabshah, Jacobabad, Larkana, the maximum temperature is expected to remain between 45-47°C.

They said under the influence of a westerly weather system, dust storm followed by rain was expected in upper Sindh, south Punjab and in some areas of Balochistan.