Sindh remained Pakistan’s driest province during this year’s monsoon season, receiving 50.8 percent less rainfall than normal, according to data released by the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
Karachi recorded an exceptional 92 percent rainfall deficit from July to September.
The PMD said Pakistan received a total of 120.5 millimetres of rainfall between July 1 and September 30, which was 19.3 percent below the normal level for the period.
Sindh received only 71.1mm of rain during the three-month monsoon season, making it the province with the lowest rainfall this year.
Balochistan also recorded significantly below-normal rainfall, with a deficit of 33.7 percent. It was followed by Azad Jammu and Kashmir at 18.4 percent, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa at 16.3 percent and Punjab at 3.8 percent below normal.
Gilgit-Baltistan was the only region in the country to receive above-normal rainfall, with precipitation 4.6 percent higher than usual.
The PMD said the formation and effects of El Nino were major meteorological factors behind this year’s below-normal monsoon rainfall.
It said El Nino can alter weather systems and weaken monsoon activity across South Asia.
The department also said monsoon rainfall was significantly below normal in Pakistan’s neighbouring countries this year.
The rainfall deficit has raised concerns about water availability, agriculture and weather patterns across the country, especially in Sindh, where the shortfall was most severe.
Pakistan is also bracing for around 25 percent water shortage during the Rabi season starting this week, raising fears about food security next year as wheat is the season’s main crop.
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