Sindh’s Dadu recorded a blistering 51.5 degrees Celsius on Thursday, setting a new maximum temperature record, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
The extreme reading came days after the Met Office warned that much of the country would experience hot to very hot weather during Eidul Azha, with temperatures projected to remain 5°C to 7°C above normal levels.
PMD data showed that the temperature recorded in Dadu was 4.5°C above the seasonal norm. Larkana and Jacobabad also remained under intense heat, with both cities recording 50.5°C.
In a press release, the PMD said maximum temperatures were likely to stay 4°C to 6°C above normal and could rise to between 47°C and 50°C in several districts, including Sukkur, Shikarpur, Qambar Shahdadkot, Jacobabad, Larkana, Mohenjo Daro, Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Tharparkar, Badin, Sujawal, Thatta, Hyderabad, Matiyari, Tando Muhammad Khan, Umerkot, Ghotki, Khairpur, Nausheroferoze, Mirpur Khas, Jamshoro, Sanghar, Sibbi, Turbat and Panjgur.
The weather department said mainly hot and dry conditions were expected across most parts of the country on Thursday, though isolated rain, windstorms and thunderstorms were likely in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and northeastern Punjab.
A similar outlook has been issued for Friday, with hot and dry weather forecast for most areas and very hot conditions expected in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and central and southern Balochistan. The PMD said isolated rain, windstorms and thunderstorms could occur in Kashmir, northeastern Punjab, and the Potohar region during the evening or night.
The warning comes amid growing global concern over rising temperatures. The United Nations has said average global temperatures are likely to remain at or near record highs this year and over the next four years.
The World Meteorological Organisation has also warned that there is a 75 percent chance the average global temperature for the 2026-2030 period will exceed the critical threshold of 1.5°C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average.
Earlier, the PMD had cautioned that El Niño conditions were likely to develop during the 2026 monsoon season in South Asia, accompanied by above-normal minimum and maximum temperatures across much of the region.
According to the department, below-normal rainfall is expected in most parts of South Asia during the 2026 southwest monsoon season, particularly in central areas. However, some northwestern, northeastern and southern parts of the region may still receive normal to above-normal rainfall.
