Pakistan Records Hottest Monsoon Season in 7 Years

Pakistan witnessed its hottest monsoon season in seven years during 2026, with temperatures soaring to 48.5°C in Turbat, Balochistan, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). Most areas experienced lower-than-usual rainfall. The PMD reported significant disparities in weather patterns. Sindh and Balochistan faced substantial rainfall deficits, while Gilgit-Baltistan saw slightly more precipitation than normal.

Turbat experienced the highest temperatures on July 7, 12, 30, and 31, with readings peaking on those days. Skardu, in Gilgit-Baltistan, recorded a cool 6°C on September 23, as temperatures began to drop towards the end of the season. Sindh experienced a 51% reduction in rainfall compared to its typical monsoon level, while Balochistan recorded a 34% shortfall.

Other regions, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab, also received less rain, with deficits of 18%, 16%, and 4%, respectively. Only Gilgit-Baltistan recorded a surplus, with 5% more precipitation than normal. Despite the overall lack of rain, some areas saw intense bursts of rain, with Lahore airport receiving 252 millimeters of rainfall in a single day on July 23 and Gujranwala accumulating 607 millimeters over the entire month.

The PMD emphasized that these figures do not definitively prove that climate change caused each temperature extreme or rainfall deviation.