Karachi, December 21, 2025: Karachi was shrouded in dense fog early Sunday, sharply reducing visibility across large parts of the city and disrupting air traffic at Jinnah International Airport. In several areas, visibility dropped to critically low levels, with near-zero conditions reported on the M-9 Motorway.
A thick blanket of fog affected multiple neighbourhoods, including Clifton, Defence, II Chundrigar Road, University Road, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, North Karachi, Surjani Town, Sohrab Goth and the Northern Bypass, causing difficulties for commuters and motorists. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said the city’s weather is expected to remain mostly cloudy over the next 24 hours, with daytime temperatures likely to range between 28°C and 30°C. The minimum temperature was recorded at 17.5°C, while humidity hovered around 95 per cent. Light northeasterly winds were blowing at approximately seven kilometres per hour.
The foggy conditions also affected flight operations, prompting the Pakistan Aviation Authority (PAA) to divert at least six international flights to alternate airports due to poor visibility. Several flights were rerouted to Muscat, while one private airline flight was diverted to Islamabad. The PAA said such diversions are standard safety measures during periods of restricted visibility.
Earlier last week, dense fog had blanketed large parts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, severely disrupting road travel. Authorities temporarily closed several motorway sections, including the M1 from Peshawar to Burhan Interchange, the M3 between Faizpur and Jaranwala, the M4 from Sher Shah to Khanewal, and the M11 linking Lahore with Sambrial. The M5 motorway connecting Rohri and Multan was completely shut due to persistent fog. Motorists were advised to drive cautiously, reduce speed, use fog lights and avoid unnecessary travel until conditions improve.
