Climate of Pakistan: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{short description|Overview of climate of Pakistan}}
[[File:Koppen-Geiger Map PAK present.svg|thumb|300px|Pakistan map of Köppen climate classification (note that the humid subtropical climate - in green, has expanded southward, and that a semi arid climate has emerged in the southeast (Sindh)).]]
{{use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
'''[[Pakistan|Pakistan's]] climate''' varies from a [[continental climate|continental]] type of climate in the [[Northern Pakistan|north]] (Gilgit-Baltistan,Kashmir, KPK), a mountainous dry climate in the [[Balochistan, Pakistan|west]] (Baluchistan), a wet climate in the [[Punjab, Pakistan|East]] (Punjab) an arid climate in the Thar Desert, to a [[tropical climate]] in the [[Sindh|southeast]] (Sindh), characterized by extreme variations in temperature, both seasonally and daily, because it is located on a great landmass barely north of the [[Tropic of Cancer]] (between latitudes 25° and 37° N).
 
Very high altitudes modify the climate in the cold, snow-covered northern mountains; temperatures on the [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]] plateau are somewhat higher. Along the coastal strip, the climate is modified by sea breeze. In the rest of the country, temperatures reach great heights in the summer; the mean temperature during June is {{convert|38|°C|F}} in the plains, the highest temperatures can exceed {{convert|53|°C}}. During summer, hot winds called [[Loo (wind)|Loo]] blow across the plains during the day. Trees shed their leaves to avoid loss of moisture. Pakistan recorded one of the highest temperatures in the world, 53.7&nbsp;°C (128.66&nbsp;°F) on 28 May 2017, the hottest temperature ever recorded in Pakistan and also the second hottest measured temperature ever recorded in [[Asia]].<ref name="public.wmo.int">{{Cite web|title=WMO verifies 3rd and 4th hottest temperature recorded on Earth|url=https://public-old.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/wmo-verifies-3rd-and-4th-hottest-temperature-recorded-earth|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231218172054/https://public-old.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/wmo-verifies-3rd-and-4th-hottest-temperature-recorded-earth|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 December 2023|date=2019-06-18|website=World Meteorological Organization|language=en|access-date=2020-05-08}}</ref>
 
The dry, hot weather is broken occasionally by dust storms and thunderstorms that temporarily lower the temperature. Evenings are cool; the daily variation in temperature may be as much as 11&nbsp;°C to 17&nbsp;°C. Winters are cold, with minimum mean temperatures in [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]] of about {{convert|4|°C}} in January, and sub-zero temperatures in the far north and [[Balochistan]].
 
Winters are extremely cold in the north and the milder they get the more you go to the south. Spring causes heavy rainfall in the northern parts while it is mild in most parts of Pakistan. Summers are sweltering, boiling and extremely hot in central Balochistan, southern Punjab and Upper Sindh while it gets milder the more you go to the north and the coast. The Monsoon season (late June-late September) also occurs in the summer season.
Autumn is pleasant but gets cooler day by day with almost no rainfall. Winter in some parts even starts in late October-early November.
 
== Climate geography ==
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*'''Tropical Storms''' usually form during the summer months from late April till June and then from late September till November. They affect the coastal localities of the country.
*'''Dust storms''' occur during summer months with peak in May and June, They are locally known as ''[[Kali Andhi|Andhi]]''. These dust storms are quite violent. Dust storms during the early summer indicate the arrival of the monsoons while dust storms in the autumn indicate the arrival of winter.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pakistanweatherportal.com/2021/06/06/history-of-dust-storms-in-karachi-in-detail/|title=History of Dust Storm in Karachi|website=pakistanweatherportal.com|date=6 June 2021 |access-date=7 April 2022}}</ref>
*'''Heat waves''' occur during May and June, especially in southern [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], central [[Balochistan]] and upper [[Sindh]].
*'''Thunderstorms''' most commonly occur in northern Punjab, [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] and [[Azad Kashmir]]. Some do occur in [[Karachi]] during the monsoon season.
*'''Continental air''' prevails during the period when there is no precipitation in the country.
 
Pakistan has four seasons: a cool and cold winter from December through February; a pleasant spring from March through May; the summer rainy season, or southwest monsoon period, from June through September; and dry autumn period of October and November. The onset and duration of these seasons vary greatly according to location.
 
The climate in the capital city of Islamabad varies from an average daily low of 2&nbsp;°C in January to an average daily high of 38&nbsp;°C in June. Half of the annual rainfall occurs in July and August, averaging about 255 millimeters in each of those two months. The remainder of the year has significantly less rain, amounting to about fifty millimeters per month. Hailstorms are common in the spring.
 
Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, which is also the country's industrial center, is more humid than Islamabad but gets less rain, but still possesses a tropical climate. Only April, June, July, August and September average more than 5070 millimeters of rain in the Karachi area; the remaining months are rather dry. The temperature is also more uniform in Karachi than in Islamabad, due to its tropical climate, ranging from an average daily low of 13&nbsp;°C during winter evenings to an average daily high of 34&nbsp;°C on summer days. Although the summer temperatures do not get as high as those in Punjab, the high humidity causes the residents a great deal of discomfort. In Islamabad, there are cold winds from the north of Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/pakistan/25.htm|title=Pakistan - Climate|website=countrystudies.us|access-date=7 April 2018}}</ref>
 
A high of 53.7&nbsp;°C (128.66&nbsp;°F) was recorded in [[Turbat]], [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]] on 28 May 2017. It was not only the hottest temperature ever recorded in Pakistan but also the second verified hottest temperature ever recorded in [[Asia]]<ref name="public.wmo.int"/> and the fourth highest temperature ever recorded on earth. The highest rainfall of {{convert|620|mm|in}} was recorded in [[Islamabad]] during 24 hours on 24 July 2001. The record-breaking rain fell in just 10 hours. It was the heaviest rainfall in Islamabad in the previous 100 years.
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{{Main article|Monsoon of South Asia|List of floods in Pakistan}}
 
Pakistan has seen many floods, the worst and most destructive is the recent [[2010 Pakistan floods]], other floods which caused destruction in the history of Pakistan, include the flood of 1950, which killed 2910 people; on 1 July 1977 heavy rains and flooding in [[Karachi]], killed 248 people, according to Pakistan meteorological department {{convert|207|mm|in}} of rain fell in 24 hours.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/2002/07/27/local1.htm |publisher=Dawn.com |title=Dawn.com: Heavy Rain in Karachi |date=27 July 2002 |access-date=6 September 2010}}</ref> In [[1992 India-Pakistan floods|1992 flooding]] during [[Monsoon|Monsoon season]] killed 1,834 people across the country{{cncitation needed|date=January 2024}}. In [[1993 India floods|1993 flooding]] during [[Monsoon|Monsoon rains]] killed 3,083 people over South Asia, 15 of whom were in Pakistan.<ref name="dartmouth-register">{{Cite web|title=1993 Global Register of Extreme Flood Events|url=http://www.dartmouth.edu/~floods/Archives/1993sum.htm|archive-date=2003-10-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031018232924/http://www.dartmouth.edu/~floods/Archives/1993sum.htm}}</ref> In 2003 Sindh province was badly affected due to monsoon rains causing damages in billions, killed 178 people, while in 2007 [[Cyclone Yemyin]] submerged lower part of Balochistan Province in sea water killing 380 people. Before that it killed 213 people in Karachi on its way to Balochistan.
 
====2010 Floods====
{{Main article|2010 Pakistan floods}}
 
2010 July floods swept 20% of Pakistan's land, the flood is the result of unprecedented Monsoon rains which lasted from 28 July to 31 July 2010. [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] and [[Punjab, Pakistan|North eastern Punjab]] were badly affected during the monsoon rains when dams, rivers and lakes overflowed. By mid-August, according to the governmental Federal Flood Commission (FFC), the floods had caused the deaths of at least 1,540 people, while 2,088 people had received injuries, 557,226 houses had been destroyed, and over 6 million people had been displaced.<ref name=ahmadani>{{cite web |url=httphttps://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/19-Aug-2010/Heavilyheavily-funded-FFCffc-fails-to-deliver/ |author=Ahmadani A |title=Heavily Funded FFC Fails to Deliver |publisher=TheNationThe Nation |date=August 19, 2010 |access-date=October 17, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706041315/http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/19-Aug-2010/Heavily-funded-FFC-fails-to-deliver/ |archive-date=July 6, 2011 |url-status=deadlive }}</ref> One month later, the data had been updated to reveal 1,781 deaths, 2,966 people with injuries, and more than 1.89 million homes destroyed.<ref name=src>{{cite web |url=http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/LSGZ-89GD7W?OpenDocument |author=Singapore Red Cross |author-link=Singapore Red Cross |title=Pakistan Floods:The Deluge of Disaster - Facts & Figures as of 15 September 2010| date=September 15, 2010 |access-date=October 18, 2010}}</ref> The flood affected more than 20 million people exceeding the combined total of individuals affected by the [[2004 Indian Ocean tsunami]], the [[2005 Kashmir earthquake]] and the [[2010 Haiti earthquake]].<ref name="South Asia">{{Cite news|last=South Asia|first=BBC News|title=Floods affect 20m people&nbsp;– Pakistan PM Gilani|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10973725|access-date=14 August 2010|newspaper=British Broadcasting Corporation|date=14 August 2010}}</ref><ref name="gulfnews">{{Cite web|url=http://gulfnews.com/news/world/pakistan/floods-in-pakistan-worse-than-tsunami-haiti-1.666221?localLinksEnabled=false |title=Floods in Pakistan worse than tsunami, Haiti |publisher=gulfnews |access-date=12 August 2010}}</ref> The flood is considered as worst in Pakistan's history affecting people of all four provinces and [[Gilgit–Baltistan]] and [[Azad Kashmir]] region of Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/03-pakistan-flood-crisis-bigger-than-tsunami-haiti-un-ss-05 |publisher=Dawn.com |title=Dawn.com : 2010 Pakistan Floods |access-date=6 September 2010}}</ref>
 
====2011 Sindh floods====
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==== 2023 floods ====
{{Main|2023 Pakistan floods}}
From March to July 2023, floods caused by [[monsoon]] rains returned to [[Pakistan]] after [[2022 Pakistan floods|nine months]]. They worsened at the end of June due to upcoming [[monsoon]] rains.<ref name="AP"/> At least 159 people were killed, including many children.<ref name="AP">{{Cite web|title=2 weeks of monsoon rains in Pakistan have killed at least 55, including 8 children|url=https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-rains-deaths-flood-warning-3261921e01974c0aaf1cc28baafcb5bb|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|date=6 July 2023|access-date=7 July 2023}}</ref>
 
===Extreme temperatures===
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| single line = yes
| metric first = yes
| Jan record high C = 3243.4
| Feb record high C = 4044.0
| Mar record high C = 4648.9
| Apr record high C = 5054.2
| May record high C = 5455
| Jun record high C = 6656.6
| Jul record high C = 56.7
| Aug record high C = 4955.9
| Sep record high C = 4957.0
| Oct record high C = 5052.0
| Nov record high C = 4548.0
| Dec record high C = 3547.3
| Jan record low C = -782.03
| Feb record low C = -622.8
| Mar record low C = -2015.5
| Apr record low C = -515.5
| May record low C = -019.3
| Jun record low C = 323.0
| Jul record low C = 919.7
| Aug record low C = 320.3
| Sep record low C = -420.0
| Oct record low C = -2017.0
| Nov record low C = -159.0
| Dec record low F = -922.0
| date = December 2018
| source =