Heatwave conditions grabbed several southern districts in Pakistan on Sunday, with temperatures sharply rising in Sindh’s Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Larkana and Dadu.

Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted serious heat waves in most parts of the country from Monday, with temperatures expected to climb as high as 46 to 48 degrees Celsius in Sindh.

A high -pressure system is set to develop over the upper atmosphere of Sunday and trigger excessive heat over the southern half of the country, including Sindh, southern Punjab and Balochistan, until April 18.

Day temperatures in these areas are expected to remain 6 to 8 degrees Celsius above normal. Meanwhile, the central and northern parts of the country-inclusive Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltist-see temperatures are 4 to 6 degrees above normal during the same period.

Nights are also expected to stay unusually warm.

The Met Office warned that the heat could trigger dust storms and wind storms. Authorities have advised the public, especially children, women and the elderly, to avoid exposure to direct sunlight, remain indoors in the peak load and remain hydrated.

Researchers have linked the early arrival of intense summer conditions in South Asia to climate change and warned that over a billion people in the region are in danger of heat -related effects.