Islamabad, May 17, 2025 – The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued an alert forecasting a severe heatwave that is expected to intensify across multiple districts of Punjab on Sunday, May 18, 2025.
This ongoing weather phenomenon is likely to bring dangerously high temperatures across the province, prompting residents and local authorities to take necessary precautions.
According to the PMD, most areas of Punjab will remain under the influence of a violent heatwave, with daytime temperatures expected to soar well above normal. The department noted that some relief might occur in a few northern districts including Murree, Galiyat, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Khushab, Mandi Bahauddin, and Gujrat, where isolated dust/thunderstorms and rain may occur during the evening or night hours. Gusty and dust-raising winds are also forecast in central and southern Punjab during the afternoon.
For Saturday night, the PMD predicted hot and dry conditions to persist in most parts of Punjab, as the province continues to experience the grip of the severe heatwave. The high-pressure system prevailing in the upper atmosphere is expected to sustain this extreme weather pattern for at least the next two to three days.
At the national level, the PMD issued a broader warning that most regions of the country, including central and upper Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, are likely to witness temperatures 5 to 7°C above average. In southern areas including Sindh, southern Punjab, and Balochistan, temperatures may remain 4 to 6°C above normal.
On Sunday, hot and dry weather will dominate much of the country, with particularly intense conditions expected in plain regions. Some localized rain, wind, and thunderstorms may provide brief relief in the northern and hilly regions such as Gilgit-Baltistan, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Kashmir during evening or night.
In the past 24 hours, hot and dry weather prevailed over most of the country. The highest recorded temperatures included Dadu at 48°C and Rahim Yar Khan and Jacobabad at 47°C. The PMD advises residents of Punjab to stay hydrated, avoid direct sun exposure, and take precautionary measures during this extreme heatwave.