Hottest April day in history of the earth recorded in Pakistan

Country declares state of high alert amid lengthy heatwave

A boy jumps into the water in Karachi to cool off amid the Pakistan heatwave (Reuters)

Pakistan endured the hottest-ever day recorded on earth during the month of April as temperatures exceeded 50C.

A peak of 50.2C was measured in Nawabshah, Sindh Province, in the southeast of the country on 30 April, according to figures from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

If accurate, the reading would be the highest observed on the planet in history, extreme weather expert Christopher Burt told the Washington Post.

He dismissed another contender for the title, a 51C reading registered in Santa Rosa, Mexico, in April 2001 as being "of dubious reliability".

"Persistent hot conditions in lower half of Pakistan continue, which started in late March when thermal regime had broken previous highest record for March at more than 30 sites," the WMO said.

"Initially, the heating initiated over relatively small part of the country in mid-April.

"In late April, the heat extended over a much larger area and peaked on 29 and 30 April when many records were set over large parts of Sindh Province.

"The last day of April happened to be the hottest day on record when Nawabshah recorded its April ever recorded highest temperature of 50.2C."

A man soaks his head in water gushing from a leaking pipe in Karachi (Reuters)

It marks the second time in a matter of weeks that Pakistan has registered its highest-ever temperature for a calendar month, after 45.5C was recorded in the south Asian nation during March.

The country is currently in the midst of a lengthy heatwave, with Pakistani newspaper Dawn reporting dozens of people collapsed suffering from heatstroke in Nawabshah on Monday.

In Karachi, mayor Wasim Akhtar declared a state of high alert on Thursday as temperatures in the capital hit 44C.

"Special arrangements should be made in all hospitals and colleges in Karachi to ensure immediate delivery of patients with heat stroke," Mr Akhtar said in a statement on Facebook.

Britain has experienced a spell of record-breaking weather of its own in recent weeks, with 19 April becoming the county’s hottest day during the month for almost 70 years.

The upcoming bank holiday looks set to provide more scorching heat, with forecasters predicting highs of close to 30C in southern England by Monday.