Pakistan has endured one of its heaviest monsoon seasons in decades, with rains arriving earlier than expected and unleashing floods across the country.
From June to September, rainfall was 23 percent above average, according to official figures. The downpour triggered flash floods and landslides in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, causing widespread destruction.
Punjab was hit hardest, with 34 percent more rainfall than normal. Sialkot recorded its heaviest showers in half a century, leaving vast areas submerged.
Other provinces also saw unusually high rainfall: Balochistan (28% above average), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (30%), Sindh (20%), Azad Kashmir (5%), and Gilgit-Baltistan (2%).
Looking ahead, Deputy Director of the Meteorological Department Irfan Virk told Samaa TV that conditions are expected to shift. “Overall, the rainfall will be less than normal in October, November, and December. Rain is expected in the coastal belt of Sindh in the next two to three days,” he said.
Experts fear that below-normal winter rains will worsen air quality, as fewer showers will mean limited cleansing of pollutants from the air. Smog and fog are likely to intensify in major cities, including Lahore and Karachi.