Karachi/Lahore:
As climate change squeezes its grip, making the rains more implacable and mercurial, this year’s monsoon has brought a remarkably heavier rain to most of the country compared to the same period last year.
According to a comparative report issued by the Department of Meteorology of Pakistan (PMD), the rain registered between July 1 and July 14, exceeded last year’s levels in almost all regions, except Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan, which continued to receive precipitation below normal.
The PMD said that the first fortnight of the 2025 Monzón season saw rains above the country’s great stripes.
Punjab, in particular, was soaked with 81.6% more rain than the average, a strong increase even compared to the already high 72.4% above the rain he received during the same period in 2024.
Similarly, Azad Kashmira saw a 19.3% increase in rain at normal levels, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa received 34.9% more than its seasonal average.
The most dramatic increase was recorded in Baluchistan, where rain 2025 shot 187% above normal levels, while the province had witnessed normal precipitation during this period last year.
In contrast, Sindh remained drier than usual for the second consecutive year. The rain was 66.2% below normal in 2025 and 68.6% below the average in 2024. Gilgit-Baltistan similarly recorded the rain below average during both years during the same period.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Authority for Disaster Management (PDMA) warned about the increase in water levels in the rivers due to a combination of heavy monsoon rains and glacial fusion.
The climate pattern is expected to persist until July 17.
The PDMA spokesman confirmed that low -level floods have been reported in Tarbela and Taunsa along the Indo River, while the flows in Chashma and Kalabagh remain normal.
Water levels in the Ravi, Chenab, Jhelum and Sutlej rivers are currently within the safe limits, as are the torrents of the hill (Rod Kohi) in Dera Ghazi Khan.
