Recent media reports claiming that Karachi just experienced its hottest day since 2018 have been challenged by historical weather data, revealing a potential bias in current climate reporting.

Media outlets recently circulated claims that a 44°C (43.7°C) in Karachi was the highest daytime temperature recorded in the city (Jinnah Terminal) since May 2018 (ARY NEWS, 2026), when temperatures previously soared to 46°C (DAWN, 2018). However, PWP highlighted that this narrative is factually incorrect.

According to official Government of Pakistan (GoP) records and past reports from local news outlets, Karachi also hit a sweltering 44°C (43.6°C) in April 2021 (Nation, 2021), followed by 43.5°C in May 2021 (GoP, 2021).

In addition to correcting the temperature record, we point out a stark contrast in recent media priorities. While news networks were heavily fixated on sensationalizing the inaccurate “hottest day since 2018” claim, there was surprisingly little coverage regarding the unusually cooler and wetter conditions that persisted across Pakistan from mid-March to early April.