LAHORE: The Pakistan Meteorological Department designated July 2023 the seventh wettest month in 63 years due to above-average rainfall of 70%.
The Met Office’s July rainfall record was 177.80mm in 2022.
According to PMD data, Lahore had 206mm of rain on July 23, the month’s heaviest. After the storm, the city had 668.7mm of rainfall.
Climate-wise, last month’s rain contributed 21.3% to the national yearly total and 44.9% to the monsoon. Four to five widespread strong to very heavy rainstorms occurred in July 2023. Regional weather trends were similar.
Gilgit Baltistan had the wettest July in 63 years (44.30mm/+233%), while Balochistan and Sindh had the 7th and 9th wettest Julys, respectively. Punjab, AJK, and KP had above-average rainfall.
Rainfall
Balakot 477mm, Islamabad Zero Point 453.9mm, Kasur 442.0mm, Kakul 427mm, Sialkot Cantt 422.4mm, Murree 415.5mm, Rawalpindi 408mm, Rawalakot 400.9mm, Muzaffarabad Airport 392.1mm, Gujranwala Cantt 386.5mm, Muzaffarabad City 379mm, Chakwal 365.9mm, Jhelum 346.4mm, Padidan 327.6mm, Malam Jabba 319mm, and Mandi Bahauddin 296mm.
Nokkundi was the only station without rain all month. Pakistan’s July 2023 mean monthly temperature was 30.70°C, 0.52°C below average. The country’s maximum daily temperature was 36.25°C, 1.01°C below the usual 37.26°C.
Moreover, The country’s midnight (minimum) temperature was 25.08°C, -0.06°C below its average of 25.13°C.
Balochistan’s Dalbandin and Nokkundi reached 47.5°C on July 2 and 3, respectively. It had the highest mean monthly maximum temperature of 43.6°C that month.
GB’s Bagrote had the month’s coldest temperature (6.5°C) on July 8, 2023, while KP’s Kalam had the coldest mean monthly minimum (11.4°C).
GB, KP, Punjab, AJK, and Balochistan all had cooler-than-average temperatures. Sindh was the only region above average with 32.56 °C (0.05 °C).
The national mean maximum (daytime) temperature of 36.25 °C in July was 1.01 °C colder than the average of 37.26 °C. The country-level night (lowest) temperature was 25.08 °C, -0.06 °C colder than the average of 25.13 °C (Table-5).
The country’s mean maximum temperature anomalies varied from -4.1 to +1.8 °C, with lower Sindh having the highest.
Monday brought muggy weather with occasional rain. Meteorologists reported moist currents from the Arabian Sea and a westerly wave in the upper sections of the country.