Pakistan Climate
Top 5 Cities: Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi
This month in numbers
Pakistan experienced its 2nd warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 25.6°C, a significant 3.8°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This follows a trend of unusually high temperatures, as the February–April 2026 period also ranked as the 4th warmest on record, at 18.95°C, which is 2.6°C above average. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures, continuing a pattern of exceptional heat worldwide.
What changed
The past three months have seen Pakistan significantly warmer than its historical average, with the country's 1-month anomaly placing it 14th warmest out of 234 regions globally. This warming trend is considerably higher than the average for the Asia group, where Pakistan's April anomaly was 2.00°C warmer than the group average. The country has also been grappling with extreme weather, including a mild heatwave in southern Pakistan from late April into early May, with temperatures in some areas exceeding 40°C. In March, heavy rainfall led to deadly flooding in Karachi, killing at least 15 people, and further heavy rains and thunderstorms affected various parts of the country through early April.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth in Pakistan is largely driven by the broader global warming trend, exacerbated by the effect, which sees land areas heat up more rapidly than oceans. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) also indicated that El Niño conditions are likely to emerge during May to July. While the current ENSO state is Neutral, the strong forecast for El Niño in the coming months suggests a potential for warmer and drier conditions for the region, typically associated with a weaker southwest summer monsoon in India and surrounding areas. Pakistan is also facing significant water stress, with rapidly depleting groundwater and river stress contributing to a state of "water bankruptcy".
Looking ahead
The NOAA CPC forecast indicates a high probability of El Niño conditions developing from May to July, with a 98% chance by August-September-October, suggesting a likelihood of warmer and drier conditions in the coming months for Pakistan.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Pakistan
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Pakistan changing?
Pakistan is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Pakistan come from?
Climate data for Pakistan comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Pakistan climate data cover?
The Pakistan climate profile covers Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Pakistan
How often is the Pakistan climate update refreshed?
The Pakistan climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.