January 2025 records excessively below average rainfall across country: report

LAHORE:January 2025 has recorded excessively below average rainfall (-55%) across the country.

A report released by the Met office revealed that the national area-weighted rainfall of 8.5mm was excessively below average with a negative anomaly of -55% in January 2025. The heaviest one-day rainfall of 72.6mm occurred at Chitral (KP) on 5th January. Coincidentally, the same station has been the wettest place with monthly total of 146.9mm. Met office report stated that climatologically, January was considered as an average rainy month with rainfall contribution to the national annual total and season (Jan-Mar) being 6.5% and 25.5%, respectively. During the month, Pakistan experienced three rain spells of light intensity (2-7 Jan, 19-23 Jan & 29-30 Jan). On regional scale, even worst situation prevailed in Sindh and Punjab, where former with only 0.1mm (-96%) and later with only 1.3mm (-92%) both have recorded extremely below-average rainfall with Punjab recorded its 7th driest January (the driest one with 0.0mm been in three different years 1963, 1966 & 1967). AJK with 22.8mm (-64%) experienced excessively below-average rainfall, Balochistan with 9.5mm (-48%) and KP with 25.8mm (-40%) recorded well below average followed by GB with 12.3mm (-21%). The heaviest one-day rainfall of 72.6mm occurred at Chitral (KP) on 5th January and coincidentally the same station has been the wettest place with monthly total 146.9mm.

The report further revealed that the national mean monthly temperature of 11.92°C for Pakistan was warmer by +0.69°C than the country-average of 11.24°C. On regional scale KP with 9.36°C (+1.36°C), AJK with 6.36°C (+1.55°C) and Punjab with 13.44°C (+0.79°C) recorded the 6th, 7th and 9th warmest January respectively during the past 65 years.

The other regions i.e. GB with 1.94°C (+1.09°C), Sindh with 16.64°C (+0.48°C) and Balochistan with 11.93°C (+0.36°C) too exhibited warmer than average temperatures. The mean temperature anomalies ranged from -1.5°C to +3.2°C in the country with those being considerably higher over KP and AJK.

The daytime (maximum) temperature (19.58°C) at country-level also happened to be warmer by +1.24°C than the country-average of 18.34°C. Similarly, on regional scale, AJK with 13.08°C (+2.48°C) and KP with 16.53°C (+2.13°C) both ranked 5th highest of the month during the past 65 years, Punjab with 20.91°C (+0.86°C) recorded the 8th highest, GB with 8.40°C (+2.26°C), Balochistan with 19.79°C (+1.21°C) and Sindh with 25.08°C (+0.19°C) all recorded warmer than average temperatures. The mean maximum temperature anomalies ranged from -1.0°C to +5.4°C in the country with those being considerably higher over AJ&K, the report said. Met office report revealed that the country-level nighttime (minimum) temperature of 4.25°C too was warmer by +0.56°C than the countrywide average of 3.69°C. A similar trend was found across the regions: Punjab with 5.88°C(+1.35°C), Sindh with 8.14°C (+0.58°C), AJK with -0.43°C (+0.55°C), KP with 2.12°C (+0.52°C) all experienced warmer than average minimum temperatures while Balochistan with 4.14°C(+0.08°C) and GB with -4.52°C (-0.07°C) both regions exhibited near average temperatures. The mean minimum temperature anomalies ranged from -4.1°C to +2.7°C in the country with those being considerably higher over south KP and adjoining Punjab.

The hottest day of the month was 32.5°C recorded at Mithi (Sindh) on 29th January. Coincidently the same place happened to be the warmest place with 28.2°C average maximum temperature during the month. The lowest night (minimum) temperature of the month was -12.0°C recorded at Astore (GB) on 9th January, whereas the station Gupis proved to be the coolest place with -8.0°C average night (minimum) temperature.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the city witnessed a partly cloudy and cold weather while Met office predicted similar weather conditions for the next 24 hours.

Met officials said that continental air was prevailing over most parts of the country while a shallow westerly wave was affecting northern areas. They predicted that mainly cold and dry weather was expected in most parts of the country. However, light rain-wind/thunderstorm (light snow over hills) was expected at isolated places in Kashmir, Upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Rainfall was recorded at several cities of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir while snowfall was recorded at Malam Jabba and Murree. Wednesday’s minimum temperature was recorded at Leh where mercury dropped to -08°C while in Lahore it was 7°C and maximum was 22.4°C.

Meanwhile, the average AQI of the City reached 178, which came in the category of unhealthy while the PM2.5 concentration was 18.8 times the WHO annual PM2.5 guideline value.