ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a drought alert after significantly below-average rainfall across the country between September 1, 2024, and March 21, 2025.
The Met Office said that some regions experienced up to a 62% shortfall, warning that conditions could worsen in southern and eastern regions. Pakistan recorded 40% less rainfall than usual in the last seven months, a PMD alert said.
As per the official data, Sindh recorded the severest shortfall at 62%, while Balochistan experienced a 52% drop. Rainfall in Punjab was 38% below normal, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa saw a 35% deficit, and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) received 29% less rain than average.
“Mild drought prevailed in most of Punjab, all of Sindh, and around half of Balochistan in January,” according to a PMD report published in January, with rapidly on-setting flash droughts predicted for the warmer months to come.
The Met Office said recent rains improved conditions in central and upper regions, but southern Sindh, parts of Balochistan, and the eastern plains of Punjab continue to face dry conditions.
The PMD further warned of a severe water shortage in the Tarbela and Mangla dams, adding that average temperatures in southern areas this March are 2–3°C above normal.
The situation is worsening in some southern regions, where dry spells have lasted over 200 consecutive days and PMD cautioned that drought conditions could further deteriorate in affected areas.
