At least 32 people have died and over 150 others were injured across Pakistan in a week of violent storms following an intense heatwave, officials confirmed on Friday. The severe weather, expected to continue until Saturday, has hit both northern and central regions of the country.
According to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s disaster management authority, five more people, including a child, were killed on Thursday during heavy rain and strong winds in different districts of the province. Meanwhile, three children died in Sindh’s Hyderabad on Wednesday as a result of storm-related incidents.
Most of the fatalities were caused by collapsing walls and roofs weakened by days of rain and strong gusts. However, at least two victims died after solar panels were ripped off buildings and struck them, authorities said.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned that stormy conditions will persist in many areas. Earlier in the week, 10 people were killed on Tuesday and 14 on Saturday in separate incidents caused by high winds and rainfall. The country is seeing more frequent and intense weather patterns, which experts link to climate change.
May’s deadly storms follow a period of extreme heat. Temperatures soared to over 48°C (118°F) in parts of the country — six degrees above normal — after an unusually dry winter and a warmer-than-average April, meteorologists reported.
Pakistan, considered one of the most climate-vulnerable countries, experiences deadly storms every year. However, officials say this month has seen an unusually high number of severe weather events, underlining the growing climate crisis affecting millions across the region.