KARACHI: The mercury is showing no signs of compassion as the country will be in the grip of an extreme heatwave owing to a cyclone being formed over the Bay of Bengal, according to a report on Monday.

The plain areas across the country will be overwhelmed by utmost heat as the sun will be burning red hot today. Hot wind will be drifting across Lahore all day long today increasing the mercury level up to 42°C. The entire Sindh including Karachi will withstand an intense heatwave from May 11 which might continue till May 16.

The temperature in Karachi is expected to rise to 40°C and more while maximum temperatures in Dadu, Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Shaheed Benazirabad (Nawabshah), Naushero Feroz, Khairpur, Shikarpur and Ghotki districts would rise to 46 to 48 °C during May 11-16.

According to the Metrological Office, the heatwave will continue to hit the entire country and the temperature will rise during day time. The weather will remain dry and hot in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan today.

In Islamabad, the weather will also remain hot and dry. According to a Met Office report, the weather will be hot and dry even in northern areas including Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.