2023 marks second driest August in Pakistan after below average rain: PMD

August 2023 was the second driest August in Pakistan in the last 63 years, as the national rainfall recorded for the month of August 2023 was largely below average (-66%), the Pakistan Meteorological Department  (PMD) said in its monthly climate summary published on Tuesday.

The driest August ever recorded in the history of the country's weather was when it rained just "16.4mm" in 1993.

"The hottest day of the month was observed in Turbat (Balochistan) when it recorded 46.5°C temperature on 14th August 2023, whereas Dalbandin was the warmest place with 42.6°C mean monthly maximum temperature," the monthly report stated.

The monthly report added that the daytime (maximum) temperature at the country level was recorded at 36.34°C, being 0.44°C warmer than the country average of 35.90°C.

Meanwhile, the coldest temperature (6.5°C) of the month was recorded in Kalam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on August 29, 2023, and coincidently, the same station was the coolest place with 10.5°C mean monthly minimum temperature.

"For Balochistan, it’s the driest August, for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab the second driest, for Azad Jammu Kashmir the third driest and for Sindh the sixth driest month," the Met Office said in its report.

According to the PMD, the wettest day of the month in the country was August 5, when Gujranwala (Punjab) recorded 102.0mm rainfall; whereas Lower Dir was the wettest location with monthly total rainfall of 231.0 mm.

"The national mean monthly temperature of August 2023 for Pakistan as a whole was 30.44°C, being 0.19°C warmer than the average of 30.25°C," the Met department's summary read.

The night-time (minimum) temperature at the country level, the Met Office mentioned, was 24.50°C, being 0.20°C warmer than the country average of 24.31°C.

"The AJK with 32.34°C (+1.79°C) observed the highest of mean maximum temperature during past 63 years (the record was 32.03°C in 2009)," the PMD said.