As Pakistan braces for yet another dangerous spell of extreme heat from May 20 to 24, 2025, climate experts and meteorologists are sounding the alarm: climate change is no longer a distant threat, it's a harsh and undeniable reality.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a high-temperature warning, forecasting that temperatures across the country could rise by 4 to 7 degrees Celsius above seasonal norms due to intensified atmospheric pressure.
Northern regions including central and upper Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan are expected to face a 5 to 7-degree spike, while southern parts such as Sindh, southern Punjab, and Balochistan may see temperatures 4 to 6 degrees above average.
In KP, rising temperatures are no longer limited to the arid plains of Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, and Tank. In recent years, sweltering heatwaves have begun affecting the province’s hilly terrains as well, once considered safe from such extremes.
Speaking to TNN, KP Meteorological Department Deputy Director Muhammad Faheem emphasized, “Climate change is no longer a future concern, it is an immediate and bitter reality.”
Faheem revealed that extreme weather events have grown both in intensity and frequency over the last decade. Just in the past two days, dust storms and violent winds have killed three people in KP, including one child.
Preliminary data from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reports at least 14 injuries—among them three children, three women, and eight men—as well as damaged homes and solar panels.
Highlighting the gravity of the issue, Faheem stated, “2023 and 2024 were the hottest years on record globally, and 2025 has already kicked off with unprecedented heatwaves. Last year, the heatwave began in April. This year, it started in March—which is alarming.”
Dr. Faheem identified unregulated urban development as a major contributor to rising temperatures. “Our buildings are designed in a way that they absorb and retain heat longer, intensifying the overall heat levels,” he explained. Without urgent changes in infrastructure and behavior, he warned, this problem could escalate dangerously in the coming years.
The PMD has also warned of a higher likelihood of dust storms and strong winds across lowland areas due to excessive heat.
Meanwhile, the rising temperatures are accelerating the melting of snow and glaciers in Gilgit-Baltistan and KP, increasing the risk of Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs)—sudden, catastrophic floods that could severely impact communities in mountainous areas.
Pakistan’s struggle is mirrored globally. According to the sixth report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), South Asia is witnessing a significant rise in heatwave events and humidity-related stress.
The report warns that if global temperatures rise by just 1.5°C, extreme heat events—which once occurred once every decade—could happen 4.1 times per decade. A 2°C rise could increase that to 5.6 times per decade.
Health departments across Pakistan have advised people, especially children, the elderly, and women, to avoid direct sunlight during peak hours and increase water intake. Farmers are being asked to adjust their schedules and take measures to protect livestock.
In Peshawar, Lady Reading Hospital, the largest medical facility in the region, told TNN that it has already prepared special arrangements for treating heatstroke and other heat-related conditions.
Recent years have seen a tragic spike in heat-related deaths. A 2024 study titled “Alarming Heatwave 2024” reported nearly 700 deaths in Sindh during the June heatwave, most of them in Karachi.
Meanwhile, a Guardian investigation revealed that heat driven by carbon emissions killed 50,000 people in Europe in 2023—mostly in Greece, Italy, and Spain.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), climate change has become the leading environmental cause of death in Europe.
In South Asia, the situation is even more dire. Reports suggest that the region is warming at nearly twice the global average, resulting in an estimated 175,000 deaths annually. A 2024 report noted that these account for over one-third of global heat-related deaths.
Children are among the most vulnerable. UNICEF data from 2021 showed that 377 children—most of them under one year old—died across Europe and Central Asia due to heat-induced complications like premature birth and low birth weight.
From early spring heatwaves to deadly dust storms and glacier-melting floods, Pakistan is facing the full brunt of a crisis it can no longer afford to ignore. The time for climate action is now—not tomorrow.
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