LAHORE: If the city has felt like a slow-cooker this week, there’s a reason: the Meteorological Department says a persistent tug-of-war between sun and cloud, combined with weak winds, has kept Lahore trapped in oppressive humidity — but relief may be on the way. Forecasters say there is a strong chance of rainfall over the city within the next 24 hours, which is expected to bring the mercury down and ease the discomfort.
The current temperature stands at 31°C, with a high of around 35°C and a low of 28°C expected through the day. Winds are moving at a sluggish 6 kilometres per hour, while humidity levels have been recorded at a sweltering 78 percent. The weather office has advised residents to take precautionary measures given the current conditions — a timely reminder as monsoon season keeps the city guessing between sunshine and sudden downpours.
The rain has, in fact, already begun making itself felt in pockets of the city. Areas around Harbanspura and neighbouring localities saw showers on Wednesday that left streets and low-lying roads waterlogged, slowing traffic and adding to the discomfort for commuters. The Met Office has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning over Lahore through the next three days, with daytime highs hovering between 34°C and 36°C into Friday — suggesting the on-and-off rain pattern is likely to persist rather than break cleanly.
Countrywide Outlook: Monsoon Currents Keep Much of Pakistan on Alert
Lahore’s weather is part of a wider pattern moving across the country. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, weak monsoon currents are pushing into the upper and eastern parts of Pakistan even as a separate westerly weather system stirs activity in the northwest — a combination expected to keep rain, wind and thunderstorms in play in several regions over the next 24 hours.
Islamabad and Rawalpindi: The capital and its twin city are expected to see partly cloudy skies with rain, windstorms and thunderstorms, with the possibility of heavy falls and hailstorms at scattered spots. The same unsettled pattern is expected to stretch across upper Punjab — including Murree, the Galliyat hills, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Sheikhupura and Wazirabad. Temperatures in Islamabad are hovering in the high-20s to low-30s Celsius, with humidity running close to 70–75 percent.
Karachi and the south: The port city is set for a cloudy, humid stretch, with the chance of light drizzle in the mornings and evenings in some neighbourhoods. Daytime highs are expected between 33°C and 35°C, with the overnight low near 28°C, humidity around 78 percent, and a sea breeze keeping the air moving at roughly 15 kilometres per hour. Much of interior Sindh and Balochistan, meanwhile, are expected to stay largely hot, dry and humid rather than wet.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan: These northern and hilly regions face the sharpest weather over the next day, with rain, wind and thunderstorms — including isolated heavy downpours — in the forecast. The terrain raises the stakes here: authorities have flagged an ongoing risk of flash floods and landslides in hill torrents and mountainous stretches, and residents in these areas are being urged to stay alert to local advisories.
The bigger picture: Pakistan’s Met Office has separately noted that August as a whole is trending toward below-normal rainfall nationwide, with temperatures running above the seasonal average even as individual monsoon spells — like the one moving through now — deliver bursts of rain and short-lived relief from the heat. Rivers are being monitored round the clock; as of the most recent flood update, the vast majority of monitored sites remain at normal flow, with only a handful, including Kalabagh, Chashma and Guddu, sitting at low flood levels. For Lahore, that means the coming hours are likely to bring exactly the kind of weather the city has been bracing for: heavy, humid air giving way to bursts of thunder, lightning and rain, before the cycle of sun and cloud resumes. Residents across Punjab and the country’s north are advised to keep an eye on official updates as the monsoon system continues to move through.
