Pakistan and India
In August the southwest monsoon season over India is just past its peak, though still in full sway.
This humid, wet and cloudy season does not retreat from eastern Pakistan until early September, too late to affect
the eclipse. Cloud conditions over western Pakistan are heavier than over Iran because of the abundant
moisture available from the Arabian Sea and the convection-promoting influence of the monsoon. Statistics for
Karachi show a dramatic decline in the frequency of days with scattered cloud,
though not in the number of days with rain.
As the track moves into India, the low Sun angle, late hour, and the extensive cloudiness of
the Indian monsoon bring the poorest conditions of anywhere along the track. Satellite pictures reveal a
land cloaked in cloud day after day and the probability of seeing the eclipse declines rapidly. By the time
the shadow reaches the sunset terminator, the chances of seeing the eclipse
have dropped almost to zero.
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