Pakistan’s average temperature has increased by approximately 0.95°C since 1981, while nighttime temperatures have risen faster than daytime temperatures, according to a Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) scientific report.
The report, How the Climate of Pakistan has Changed: Evidence from 45-year Data Record, analyzed temperature, rainfall, fog and extreme weather observations from 1981 to 2025.
It found that maximum temperatures increased by 0.20°C per decade, while minimum temperatures rose by 0.26°C per decade. The faster rise in nighttime temperatures has reduced relief from heat, particularly across central and southern Punjab, upper Sindh and Balochistan.
Pakistan’s annual rainfall recorded a modest decline of 7.4mm per decade, but the report said the trend was not statistically significant because rainfall varied considerably from year to year. Instead, rainfall patterns have become increasingly uneven across regions and seasons.
Punjab, Sindh and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa generally recorded higher rainfall, while northern KP, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir saw declines during several seasons.
Extreme heat has also intensified, with some areas recording more than 100 days a year above 40°C. The report cited the severe winter rainfall deficit in 2024-25 and exceptionally wet 2022 monsoon as examples of growing climate volatility. It called for region-specific planning to address heat, floods, droughts, water management and other climate risks.
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