Jacobabad Heat: Why It Is One of the Hottest Cities

Jacobabad, in upper Sindh near the Balochistan border, is often called one of the hottest cities on earth, and the records back that up. Its recorded high is about 52.8 degrees Celsius, summer days regularly pass 45, and May to July is the hardest period. If you have to pass through in summer, travel early in the morning, carry plenty of water and stay out of the midday sun.

This guide gives the real numbers, explains why the heat there is so dangerous, and covers practical advice. It is about the climate and is not a recommendation to visit: read the safety section first.

How hot does Jacobabad actually get?

The city's recorded all-time high is 52.8 C according to the climate data on Wikipedia. Average daily maximums between May and August sit at roughly 40 to 44 C, and the city's mean summer temperature is about 37 C.

Recent years show how extreme it can be:

• May 2022. The mean temperature for the whole month reached 43 C, a record for the city.
• May 2024. On 23 May Jacobabad reached 50 C, and the Pakistan Meteorological Department's director called it the hottest spot on the planet that day. Larkana (49.7 C), Dadu (49.5 C) and Khairpur (49.3 C) were close behind. Other reports from the same heatwave put the peak at 52 C.
• May and June 2026. PMD alerts for Sindh warned of 47 to 51 C in Jacobabad and neighbouring districts, running 4 to 6 degrees above normal, and press reports listed Jacobabad among the hottest places in the country.

Jacobabad is not Pakistan's record holder. That is Turbat in Balochistan, at about 54 C on 28 May 2017 (sources give 53.7 or 54).

Why is Jacobabad so hot?

Several things combine. The city sits in the flat Indus plain, well inland, in a desert climate.

The more dangerous part is humidity. Wet-bulb temperature combines heat and moisture, and it shows how well the body can cool itself by sweating. A study of weather-station records found Jacobabad had six of the 14 confirmed readings worldwide at or above 35 C wet-bulb, on 25 July 1987, 5 and 7 June 2005, 27 and 30 June 2010 and 13 July 2012. The researchers suggested widespread irrigation adds moisture to the air. A wet-bulb reading of 35 C is often described as a limit beyond which the body cannot cool itself, though later lab research suggests the practical limit is lower in humid air. In plain terms, heat and humidity together can turn dangerous well before the thermometer reaches the record.

When is the worst of the heat?

• May to June: driest and hottest, with peak temperatures before the monsoon.
• July to August: still very hot, and the humid months. Several of the wet-bulb readings above fell in June and July.
• November to February: the cooler months, with a recorded low of minus 3.9 C, and the season when travel is realistic.

Rainfall is scarce and erratic: the average is about 200 mm a year, but 2022 recorded 838.7 mm and 1922 only 3.3 mm.

Is it safe to travel to Jacobabad?

Two separate questions apply. The first is safety and security. Jacobabad lies in Sindh north of Nawabshah, and the UK government's Pakistan travel advice (updated 22 September 2026) advises against all but essential travel to that part of Sindh. Overseas visitors should read their own government's advice, which can affect travel insurance, and check current local news and police guidance. Pakistani travellers do pass through on the road between Sindh and Balochistan, but the road situation changes, so ask locally before setting out.

The second is health. Official advice during heatwaves, including from NDMA, is to avoid the sun in peak hours, drink plenty of water, wear light loose clothing and a hat, and look out for children, the elderly and the sick. Anyone with a heart or kidney condition should think twice about a summer trip to upper Sindh.

Practical advice if you must travel in summer

1. Travel before 10 am and after 5 pm. Rest in the shade or indoors from around 11 am to 4 pm, which is the window most official guidance names as the danger time.
2. Drink before you are thirsty. Guidance commonly given is two to three litres of water a day at a minimum, and more if you are outside; add oral rehydration salts.
3. Check the car. Tyres, coolant and air conditioning need to be sound, and never leave a child or pet in a parked car.
4. Carry spare water and a charged phone. Signal can be poor on long empty stretches.
5. Know heat stroke. Confusion, hot dry skin, a very high temperature or fainting means move the person into shade, cool them and get medical help urgently.
6. Skip May to August if you have a choice. Our when to go guide and best time to visit Sindh show the cooler months.

Should you visit Jacobabad at all?

For most people, there is no reason to go in summer, and the security advice means you should think hard about going at any time. It is a working town with a historic name, named after the British officer John Jacob, and it is not a tourist destination.

If you want to feel heat this intense as a curiosity, you don't need to: the effect is the same in any Sindh town in June, and the risk is not worth it. If you are looking for somewhere to go in summer instead, see our guides to where to go from Karachi in summer and best places to visit in Pakistan in summer, or the hills covered in our travel guide.

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