Pakistan is facing the heat, literally! Nawabshah set to break April temperature record

Pakistan is set to face a staggering 50 degrees Celsius temperature this week, close to the global April record. The intense heat already caused temperatures in central and southern Pakistan to reach 48 degrees Celsius last weekend and is expected to rise through Wednesday (April 30).

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has predicted a heatwave from April 26 to 30 and advised the public to take precautions.

Pakistan’s Nawabshah may be hit with 50C

According to a report in The Washington Post, Nawabshah in Pakistan might exceed the world’s highest recorded April temperature of 50 degrees Celsius.

Temperatures over 43.3 degrees Celsius are expected in 21 countries this week: Pakistan, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, India, Iraq, Qatar, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, Oman, South Sudan, Bahrain, Mali, Senegal, Chad, Ethiopia, Niger, Eritrea, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso.

Current forecasts using the reliable European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model suggest temperatures could reach 49 degrees on Wednesday and Thursday.

However, the same model underestimated temperatures last weekend by about 2 to 3 degrees, which means the actual peak could break the 50-degree record.

Later in the week, the extremely hot air will move eastward toward China, causing a new heat wave in Central Asia, where temperatures in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan could exceed 38 degrees Celsius.

Global temperature data shows that April 2025 has already been very warm, with 63 per cent of the planet experiencing above-average temperatures.

Warmer-than-average conditions have affected 116 countries, while 39 have been cooler than average.

These extremes are more frequent with a rapidly warming climate. The first quarter of 2025 was the second-warmest on record globally, only behind 2024, despite a switch from a warming El Niño to a typically cooler La Niña.

Impact of climate change on Pakistan

Pakistan is one of the countries most vulnerable to the devastating effects of climate change. During the 2022 monsoon season, extreme heat was followed by historic rainfall, triggering catastrophic floods that affected nearly 15 per cent of the population. These floods were among the worst in the nation’s history, claiming lives and damaging infrastructure on a massive scale.

Yet, Pakistan is barely responsible for the climate crisis. It contributes less than 1 per cent to global greenhouse gas emissions, making it a minimal player in the buildup of atmospheric carbon dioxide — the primary driver of global warming.

Despite this, the impact on Pakistan is severe, worsened by local challenges like poor sewage systems, industrial pollution, and deforestation. The country simply lacks the resources to invest in climate resilience or prepare adequately for such disasters.