As a sweltering heatwave grips South Asia, recent projections indicate that temperatures in Pakistan have the potential to reach the global April record of 50 degrees Celsius, a milestone previously achieved by Nawabshah in April 2018.
According to The Washington Post, this forecast follows a recent surge in temperatures across the central and southern regions of the country, which climbed to an alarming 47°C last weekend.
This extreme heat, fueled by an expansive dome of high pressure, has triggered widespread warnings throughout the nation.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) issued a heatwave advisory effective from April 26 to 30, urging the public to adopt necessary precautionary measures.
Weather historian Maximiliano Herrera, who meticulously tracks monthly global temperature extremes, verified Nawabshah’s 2018 reading as the highest temperature ever documented in April across Asia.
An April reading of 51°C in Santa Rosa, Mexico, during 2001 is considered potentially unreliable.
The oppressive heat is being generated by a significant high-pressure system that is acting like a lid, trapping warm air across a vast area extending from the Middle East into South Asia.
This region has already witnessed unusually elevated temperatures for April in recent years, a trend consistent with a warming global climate where extreme heat events are becoming increasingly pronounced.
When and Where the Heat Will Peak
Weather models suggest that the peak intensity of this heatwave in Pakistan is anticipated on Wednesday and Thursday. One of the world’s most reliable models, the ECMWF, forecasts maximum temperatures around 48°C in the central parts of the country, The Washington Post reported.
It’s noteworthy that this model slightly underestimated the high temperatures experienced last weekend, implying that the actual temperatures this week could still reach levels just below 50°C.
The impact of this heatwave is widespread, with forecasts indicating temperatures exceeding 43°C in a total of 21 countries this week.
These nations include Pakistan, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, India, Iraq, Qatar, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, Oman, South Sudan, Bahrain, Mali, Senegal, Chad, Ethiopia, Niger, Eritrea, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso.
Furthermore, this unusually hot air mass is predicted to shift eastward towards China later in the week. Concurrently, a new heatwave is expected to develop across Central Asia, with temperatures in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan projected to rise above 37°C.
Record-Breaking April Temperatures
Data indicates that Pakistan has already experienced temperatures more than four degrees Celsius above the average for April, even before the onset of the current intense heatwave.
Iraq recorded its highest April temperature on record at 46°C, while the UAE also reached a record high of 46°C. Turkmenistan has been particularly anomalous, experiencing temperatures over seven degrees Celsius above the average for April. According to my search, the highest recorded temperature in the UAE in April was 41.6°C. The text you provided might have incorrect information.
Niger also reported a national record of 45°C.
So far in April, 63% of the planet has experienced above-average temperatures, while only 37% has been cooler than average.
A significant 116 countries have been warmer than usual, compared to just 39 with cooler conditions.
Despite the weakening of a strong El Nino event, which contributed to a record-breaking warm year in 2024, a subsequent La Nina event early this year has not brought about the cooling effect observed in previous instances.
The period from January to March this year ranked as the second-warmest on record globally, surpassed only by 2024.
