Pakistan’s Sixth-Hottest October in 66 Years
October 2026 was the sixth-hottest October in Pakistan in the past 66 years, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) monthly climate report for the month.
The country’s average temperature during October stood at 25.2 degrees Celsius, which was 1.2 degrees above normal. The average nighttime temperature was 2.3 degrees above normal. In terms of warmer nights, October 2026 ranked as the third-hottest in the past 66 years.
The average maximum daytime temperature was recorded at 32.1 degrees Celsius. The country received an average rainfall of 9.2 millimetres during the month.
Warm nights in the sixth-hottest October
The nighttime figure is the most striking part of the report. Daytime heat draws attention, but warm nights affect health, sleep and recovery, especially for people who work outdoors or live in homes without cooling.
When nights stay warm, the body gets less relief after a hot day. Crops also respond to nighttime temperatures, and stored heat in cities keeps urban areas warmer after sunset. A third-place ranking for warm nights, over a 66-year record, therefore carries weight beyond a single monthly average.
The report places October in a longer warm sequence. Pakistan’s 2026 monsoon season was already the warmest in 66 years, with a national average of 30.7 degrees Celsius. That figure passed the previous record of 30.6 degrees set in 2019, according to the PMD report issued in October.
Most parts of the country received below-normal rainfall during the monsoon. Sindh recorded the largest shortfall. The October report, with only 9.2 millimetres of average rainfall, continues that dry pattern into autumn.
What October felt like on the ground
Within October itself, heat built up in Sindh in particular. Karachi sweltered at 39 degrees Celsius in mid-October, recording its highest temperature of the month so far at that point and standing 2.2 degrees above normal. Mithi emerged as the hottest location on that day at 41 degrees, which was 2.9 degrees above normal. Karachi, Sakrand, Mirpurkhas and Thatta each registered 39 degrees.
Those readings fit the national picture. A month that averages 1.2 degrees above normal does not feel uniformly hot every day. It feels like repeated warm spells, with fewer cool breaks than usual, and nights that stay warm when they would normally cool.
For farmers, a warm and dry October affects soil moisture after the monsoon and the start of the rabi season. For cities, it extends the period in which heat, dust and smoke linger in the air.
The wider context for readers in Pakistan
The PMD figures arrive in a season when Pakistan’s air quality is already under strain. Feature Pakistan has reported that fire hotspots within 300 kilometres of Lahore rose sharply in late October and early November, while a separate study put the cost of air pollution at 6.5 per cent of GDP.
Heat and air pollution are separate problems, but they interact. High temperatures can worsen ozone formation, and dry conditions allow dust and smoke to remain airborne for longer. A warm October therefore matters for public health as well as for weather records.
At the same time, the first winter showers have now reached parts of Balochistan. That contrast is normal for a country of Pakistan’s size, where a national average hides sharp regional differences.
What the report does not say
The Tribune report of the PMD findings does not give a province-wise breakdown for October, nor does it name the hottest or coldest stations for the month. It also does not attribute the month’s warmth to any single cause.
That caution matters. A monthly ranking shows what happened. It does not, on its own, prove why it happened. Longer records, including the monsoon report’s link to a strengthening El Nino, give context, but each month’s figures should be read as part of a series rather than as a verdict on one cause.
What can be said plainly is that October 2026 now sits near the top of a 66-year record on two measures: sixth overall, and third for warm nights. For a country that has just come through its warmest monsoon in the same 66-year record, that is a notable continuation, not an isolated blip.
Related climate coverage includes the $18 billion water security investment, the cost of air pollution at 6.5% of GDP, the Balochistan winter showers and gas crisis, and the Swat basin warming risk.
Frequently asked questions
How hot was October 2026 in Pakistan?
The national average temperature was 25.2 degrees Celsius, which was 1.2 degrees above normal, according to the PMD monthly climate report.
How does it rank historically?
It was the sixth-hottest October in the past 66 years. For warmer nights, it ranked third in the same 66-year record.
How much rain fell in October?
The country received an average rainfall of 9.2 millimetres during the month.
Was the monsoon also unusually warm?
Yes. Pakistan’s 2026 monsoon season was the warmest in 66 years, with a national average of 30.7 degrees Celsius, above the previous record of 30.6 degrees set in 2019.
Does a warm October affect smog?
Warm, dry and still air can allow dust and smoke to linger, which adds to the seasonal smog burden across Punjab, though heat is only one factor among several.
