Commuters carefully make their way through a thick layer of fog on a winter morning, as the provincial capital slowly wakes up in low visibility, turning an ordinary journey into a quiet test of patience and concentration. Photo: ONLINE
KARACHI:
Thick fog enveloped the metropolis on Sunday morning, reducing visibility and disrupting flight operations at the Jinnah International Airport.
According to authorities, this is the first period of dense fog recorded in the metropolitan city this winter. Visibility, which had previously been around six kilometers, dropped to near zero in the early morning hours. Even after sunrise it remained limited, gradually improving to around 200 meters in the morning, two kilometers around 12:30 p.m. and only three kilometers around 2 p.m., still well below normal levels. The fog blurred visibility in several areas, causing inconvenience to motorists. Localities such as Gulshan-e-Maymar, Surjani Town, Superhighway, Sohrab Goth, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulberg, II Chundrigar Road, Clifton and DHA were among the worst affected.
At Jinnah Airport, adverse weather conditions led to the diversion of six international flights. A Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) spokesperson said flights operated by Pegasus, Etihad and Gulf Air were diverted to Muscat. A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight from Madinah to Karachi was also diverted to Muscat, while a private airline’s flight from Jeddah was diverted to Islamabad.
PAA officials said diverting flights during periods of limited visibility was a routine safety measure.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast that fog may also persist on Monday, continuing to affect visibility. The weather is expected to remain dry over the next three days, with cold nights and mornings. The city’s minimum temperature on Sunday was recorded at 17.5°C.
The PMD added that sea breezes may remain suspended in the coming days, while winds from different directions may blow, with speeds exceeding 18 kilometers per hour.
The longest night of the year marks the winter solstice
The night, lasting 13 hours and 25 minutes, was recorded as the longest of the year, while today (December 22) marks the shortest day of 2025. Astronomers have confirmed that the phenomenon, known as the *winter solstice*, occurred overnight from Sunday to Monday in the northern hemisphere. Experts explained that the winter solstice occurs every year in December, usually between the 20th and 23rd of the month. This year it fell on December 22. The solstice is the point at which Earth’s axial tilt – inclined at 23.4 degrees – moves furthest away from the Sun in the Northern Hemisphere, resulting in the longest night and shortest day of the year.
Astronomers have noticed that the Earth’s axis wobbles slightly, like a top, as it rotates. As the planet orbits the Sun, there comes a time when the northern tilt is maximally directed away from the Sun. Immediately after this point, the tilt begins to recede, gradually orienting the northern hemisphere toward the Sun again. As a result, after the winter solstice, the nights begin to shorten and the days become longer. This astronomical event has been observed and celebrated across cultures for centuries, symbolizing the transition from the darkest time of the year to increasing daylight.
