The Met Office has categorically rejected the ‘unverified claims’ on social and mainstream media about the likelihood of an extremely cold winter in Pakistan in the coming days. According to a statement issued on Tuesday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said these claims are not supported by the seasonal winter forecast for the December-January-February period or by the prevailing regional and global climate indicators. Furthermore, observational data recorded by PMD to date do not support these claims. In particular, the observed conditions in December are consistent with the PMD seasonal outlook for December-January-February 2025-26. It said the PMD outlook, developed using the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)-supported regional and global climate prediction systems, indicates near normal to slightly below normal rainfall, with temperatures expected to remain slightly above normal over most parts of the country. It said observations to date are consistent with this forecast, characterized by generally below-normal rainfall, limited to light to moderate rainfall over western and northwestern regions, and predominantly above-normal temperatures, particularly across Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. According to PMD, the ongoing development of the winter season remains closely in line with its pre-season forecast and does not support claims of extreme winter conditions. “The public and stakeholders are advised to rely on PMD’s official announcement for accurate, timely and scientifically validated weather and climate information,” the statement added. A day earlier, the PMD said Karachi port is expected to witness a further drop in temperature over the coming weekend, with the mercury likely to drop to 9 degrees Celsius on Saturday and Sunday. According to PMD spokesperson Anjum Nazir Zaigham, cool conditions will continue during the night and early morning hours over the next few days. He said a noticeable drop in temperature is expected by the end of the week, with minimum temperatures reaching single digits in some parts of the city. Speaking to The Express Pakinomist, the spokesperson explained that a cold wave was expected at the beginning of the week; however, the presence of continuous air troughs over Karachi has prevented Siberian winds from fully penetrating the region. He added that once these winds become active, a further intensification of cold conditions cannot be ruled out.
PDM rejects the chances of ‘extreme winter’
