ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Pakistan will face its worst winter in decades this year, with experts predicting an unprecedented drop in temperatures due to the effects of La Nina.
According to a recent report by the United Nations and the Intersector Coordination Group (ISCG), temperatures are likely to be several degrees below normal in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and northern Punjab.
In contrast, light to normal rainfall is expected in the southern regions.
According to experts, La Nina is formed when the temperature of the Pacific Ocean water decreases below normal, resulting in unusual weather changes, increased rainfall, and frost around the world.
The report stated that malnutrition, health problems, and housing issues already exist in the flood-affected areas, and the severe cold could further exacerbate these problems.
It was further stated that disruptions in crop harvesting, an increase in dengue and other epidemics, and the risk of glacial lakes bursting in mountainous areas could make this winter season even more dangerous.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, 1.2 million hectares of agricultural land in Punjab were submerged during the floods, causing severe damage to rice, cotton, and sugarcane crops.
Sowing of the Rabi season has also been affected, deepening the food and employment crisis.
Health experts have warned that the destruction of more than 229,000 homes has forced millions of people to live in the cold weather under the open sky, increasing the risk of outbreaks of colds, flu, typhoid, cholera, and dengue.
According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the current wave of La Nina began in September 2025 and is expected to persist until February 2026.
