Pakistan Faces Sizzling April Amidst Alarming Climate Shift

Pakistan experienced the second hottest April in 65 years, with temperatures significantly exceeding historical norms. Daytime and nighttime temperatures rose, causing concerns about climate change impacts. Officials cite global warming and reduced rainfall, increasing risks of drought, water scarcity, crop failure, and health emergencies in the region.

Pakistan has just endured its second hottest April in 65 years, as confirmed by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).

A PMD official reported that average temperatures last month substantially surpassed historical averages, marking a scorching deviation from the norm.

Temperatures nationwide were 3.37 degrees above the long-term average, with maximum daily temperatures 4.66 degrees higher than usual. In Nawabshah, the hottest day, April 17, saw a searing 49 degrees Celsius recorded.

Nighttime temperatures also reflected a significant increase, averaging 2.57 degrees above historical standards, suggesting a broader shift in regional climate behavior.

Sardar Sarfaraz Khan, Chief Meteorologist, pointed to global warming and insufficient mitigation efforts as key contributors to the worsening climate scenario in Pakistan.

Environmental concerns are further intensified by a 59% reduction in rainfall compared to the national average, aggravating drought conditions in already vulnerable areas, said Arshad Tareen, an environmental scientist in Karachi.

Meteorologists caution that the combination of escalating heat and dryness could provoke acute water shortages, crop failures, and public health crises.

Warnings emphasize the urgency for effective measures, as Pakistan, despite contributing less than 1% to global greenhouse emissions, stands among the nations most susceptible to the impacts of climate change.

(With inputs from agencies.)