The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Thursday forecast a “severe” heatwave in the country during the Eidul Azha holidays from June 7 to 12, urging the public to take precautionary measures.
Pakistan ranks among the top ten countries most vulnerable to climate change and has faced increasingly frequent extreme weather events in recent years, including deadly heatwaves and devastating floods.
“Met Office predicted that high pressure is likely to develop over the country on June 7 and is expected to grip most parts from June 8,” the PMD said in a statement.
“Day temperatures are likely to remain 5°C to 7°C above normal in the upper half (central & upper Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan) from June 7 to June 12.”
Dust storms and gusty winds are expected across the plains of the country due to intense heat, it added.
The Met Office advised women, the elderly and children to avoid direct sunlight during the day and stay hydrated at all times as precautionary moves.
Farmers were urged to manage their crop activities according to the latest weather conditions and to take care of their livestock.
The Met Office urged authorities to remain vigilant and take necessary measures to prevent any adverse situations arising from the heatwave conditions.
Pakistan experienced its most recent heatwave in May but no loss of life was reported.
In June 2024, nearly 700 people died in less than a week during a severe heatwave in the country, with most fatalities reported in the port city of Karachi and other parts of the southern Sindh province.
A similar heatwave in 2015 claimed over 2,000 lives in Pakistan’s largest city Karachi alone, while catastrophic floods in 2022 left more than 1,700 people dead and displaced over 33 million across the country.