CHAPTER 2: CLIMATE
INTRODUCTION
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Weather: the atmospheric conditions of any
place for a short period of time. Usually
localized.
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Climate: a generalization of the day to day
weather conditions over a long period of time,
usually 30 years.
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Pakistan’s diverse terrain leads to varying
climates. The main division are:
Highland Climate
Lowland Climate
Coastal Climate
Arid Climate
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Four seasons of Pakistan: Winter (midDecember to March), early summer (April to
June), late summer (monsoon, July to September), and post monsoon (October to midDecember).
HIGHLAND CLIMATE
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Areas: Northern, North-western, and western highlands.
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Long, cold, and snowy winters.
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Short, and mild summers.
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Rainfall is associated with altitude in mountainous areas.
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Northern Mountains height ranges from 2000-8000 meters.
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Western Mountains height ranges from 1000-4000 meters.
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Rainfall in the Northern Mountains is highest in the highland zone.
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Rainfall in the Western Mountains is less.
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From south of Kohat and Waziristan, rainfall decreases and occurs during the winter.
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To north-west, Gilgit and Chitral also experience low rainfall. They are rainshadow areas.
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Temperature vary from north to west depending on altitude.
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Summers in the Northern Mountains are short, mild, and wet.
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Summers in the Western Mountains are dry and warm.
LOWLAND CLIMATE
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The whole of Indus Plain is in this zone (save for the coastal areas).
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Most parts of the Indus Plain are in the western end of the tropical monsoon zone.
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It has an arid and extreme climate, i.e. hot summers, cool winters, and summer monsson
rainfall.
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Rainfall amount differs from north to south.
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The Northern Mountains foothills and the Potwar Plateau are wetter than the Indus Plain.
They also receive rainfall from Western Depressions.
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Thunderstorms are common in the north and north-west of the Indus Plain.
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The southern Upper Indus Plain and the Lower Indus Plain have less rainfall and high
temperature.
COASTAL CLIMATE
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This includes the southern coastal strip made up of the Indus Delta, Karachi, and the
Makran coast.
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Sea breezes throughout the year.
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Maritime influence keeps the daily temperature low.
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Influence of the sea mainly through winds.
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Temperature at sea and at land is different.
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Land and water absorb heat at different rates, and radiate it at different speeds.
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The land heats up in summer, while the ocean remains comparatively cool.
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Land loses heat quickly in winter and becomes cold, while the ocean is warmer and keeps
its warmth for a long time.
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The humidity is moderately high, over 5 0% from April to September.
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Mean monthly temperature: 32 degrees Centigrade.

Hottest months are May, June, and October. LITERALLY CAMBRIDGE MONTHS.
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Dry winds during October.
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Rainfall is scanty all year.
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The coast experiences most of its rainfall during the monsoon season from Karachi to the
Rann of Kutch.
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On the Makran coast rainfall is mostly in winter.
ARID CLIMATE
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South-western Balochistan, and the south-eastern desert.
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Dry and hot.
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Hot dusty winds prevail almost continuously from the middle of May to the middle of
September.
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Scanty rainfall takes place in south-western Balochistan during winter.
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Summer monsoons in the south-eastern desert bring little rainfall.
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Extreme heat, dryness, and dust storms are the main features of this climate.
RAINFALL
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