By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan faces a nationwide heatwave from April 22-27, with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) urging the public to check weather updates before travelling due to rising temperatures linked to climate change.
The advisory highlights the escalating impact of climate change, which is driving more frequent, prolonged, and severe heatwaves, disproportionately affecting communities with limited resources to adapt. “The weather is likely to remain dry and hot in most parts of the country” during the specified period.
In the southern provinces of Sindh and Balochistan, temperatures are expected to rise above normal levels throughout the week.
An intense heatwave has gripped the port city of Karachi, as the mercury rose above 40 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, with the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warning that the weather conditions will prevail in the region for another two days.
Karachi is experiencing more frequent and intense heatwaves in recent years — a trend that climate experts attribute to broader shifts caused by global warming. “Prevailing heatwave condition is likely to continue in Karachi division with daytime maximum temperatures are likely 4-6°C above normal till tomorrow,” the PMD said in a statement. “Hot/very hot and dry weather prevails over most parts of the province.”
It advised people, especially women, children and the elderly, to stay indoors, avoid direct sunlight and stay well-hydrated. The maximum temperature predicted for Tuesday was 41°C, followed by 40°C on Wednesday and 39°C on Thursday.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the weather is anticipated to remain predominantly hot, though some relief may come in the form of rain in select areas.
The advisory further noted that “partly cloudy weather with a chance of rain was expected” in several districts, including Abbottabad, Chitral, Dir, Haripur, Kohat, Kohistan, Mohmand, Nowshera, Peshawar, Swat, and Waziristan. This potential rainfall could provide a brief respite from the intense heat in these northern regions.
Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change is starkly evident. The country was ranked as the most vulnerable nation to climate change in 2022, according to the Climate Risk Index (CRI) for 2025, released last month by the European think-tank Germanwatch. Following Pakistan were Belize and Italy.
The report underscores how rising temperatures and extreme weather phenomena, such as heatwaves, are exacerbating challenges for Pakistan’s population, particularly those in underserved communities lacking the means to cope with such conditions.
Heatwaves pose significant health risks, including heatstroke and dehydration, with the elderly, children, and outdoor workers among the most vulnerable.
Pakistan has witnessed frequent, erratic changes in its weather patterns, including floods, droughts, cyclones, torrential rainstorms, heatwaves and the slow-onset threat of glacial melting, in recent years that scientists have blamed on human-driven climate change.
Notably in 2015, when more than 1,000 people perished in Karachi due to extreme temperatures. In 2022, unusually heavy rains triggered floods in many parts of the country, killing over 1,700 people, inflicting economic losses of around $30 billion and affecting at least 30 million people.
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