LAHORE: The month of March 2026 witnessed 2.3°C rise in national mean temperature, which was 21.6°C, warmer than the country-average of 19.3°C.
A report issued by Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) revealed that the country-level nighttime (minimum) temperature of 14.7°C was warmer by +2.7°C than the countrywide average of 12°C and ranked 2nd highest (record 15°C in 2022) while the daytime (maximum) temperature was 28.5°C at country-level, warmer with a positive anomaly of +2.0°C.
The report said that the national area-weighted rainfall of 38.9mm was slightly above average with a positive departure of +24% in March 2026.
The hottest day of the month was observed at Mithi and Shaheed Benazirabad (Sindh) on March 10 when it recorded a maximum temperature of 40.5°C and coincidentally, the same station Mithi proved to be the warmest place with a mean monthly maximum temperature of 36.8°C.
The report added that the coldest night temperature of -2.0°C of the month was recorded at Skardu (Gilgit-Baltistan) on March 3. However, the station Kalam (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) happened to be the coldest place with mean monthly minimum temperature of 2.5°C.
The heaviest one-day rainfall of 74mm occurred at Malam Jabba (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) on March 31 and coincidentally the same station was the wettest place with monthly total of 315.0mm.
The report said in March 2026, four western disturbances (WDs) entered the northern and western parts of the country during 5-6, 8-12, 15-21 and 24-31 March. These systems affected Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Kashmir, Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh. As a result, moderate-to-occasionally-heavy rainfall was recorded, along with isolated hailstorms and snowfall over the hilly areas of KP, GB, Kashmir, Punjab and northwestern Balochistan.
Meanwhile, southern Balochistan and Sindh experienced light-to-moderate rain along with isolated hailstorms during the month. During remaining days of the month, most parts of the country stayed under the influence of dry continental air.
Climatologically, March was considered as an above average rainy month with rainfall contribution to the national annual and seasonal Jan-Mar totals being 9.9pc and 40.3pc, respectively. During the month, Pakistan experienced moderate-to-heavy rainfall, with isolated hailstorm and snowfall over hilly areas of KP, GB, Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), northwestern Balochistan and Punjab, and light-to-moderate hailstorm at a few places in Sindh and southern Balochistan.
The March 2026 with 38.9mm (area-weighted) rainfall was slightly above average with a departure of +24pc for Pakistan as a whole. However, the situation was diverse on regional scale, i.e., excessively above average rainfall occurred in Sindh with 8.8mm (+129pc), ranking the 10th highest during the past 66 years (The record is 50.1mm in 1967) and Balochistan with 34mm (+57pc). Whereas GB with 34.6mm (+39pc) observed above average rainfall, AJK 118.4mm (+23pc), KP with 102.8mm (+11pc) observed slightly above average rainfall. Whereas Punjab was the only region to exhibit a near average rainfall with 28.8mm (-9pc).
The report explained that national mean temperature of 21.6°C was significantly warmer than the country area weighted mean of 19.3°C with positive anomaly of +2.3°C and ranked 5th highest (the record is 22.9°C in 2022).
