Northern areas of Pakistan experienced unusual snowfall in summer; rain and snow disrupted life in KP, GB and AJK in March-April
Haider Raza, director of nature-based and northern solutions at WWF-Pakistan, told iVerify that rain and snow after March 21 in northern areas was not unusual. Screenshot of video
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Monday issued a high-level heatwave alert warning that large parts of southern and central Pakistan were likely to experience dangerously high temperatures between May 19 and 26. Particularly in southern regions of the country, temperatures rose well above seasonal norms in April and May, frequently exceeding 44 to 46 degrees Celsius.
According to the latest NDMA advisory, temperatures are expected to remain unusually high for three to five consecutive days in several districts of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan. He added that rising humidity in lower Sindh and inland drought in Punjab and Balochistan could further intensify heat stress.
On the other hand, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a Glacial Lake Flood (Glof) alert for the northern areas. According to the weather advisory, a moderate westerly wave had entered the upper parts of the country and was currently affecting parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan. Intermittent rain-winds/thunderstorms with isolated heavy falls were likely to occur over vulnerable mountainous catchments during the current weather period.
In recent days, social media has been abuzz with videos showing snowfall in Pakistan’s mountainous north, including parts of GB and KP. The clips surprised many users and questioned whether snowfall at this time of year was unusual. “Is there snow in Britain even this season?” one user asked, while another wondered: “Is it still snowing there?”
Sharing a video from Mansehra, an X user called the May snowfall a “miracle”.
What we found
As for the weather conditions, the northern areas of Pakistan experienced snowfall during the summer. Rain and snowfall disrupted daily life in parts of KP, GB and Azad Jammu and Kashmir during the months of March and April, according to media reports. Aaj News And Dawn.
In Britain, snow avalanches near the Khunjerab Pass blocked the Karakoram Highway, stranding tourists. Rain-triggered landslides also blocked access roads and damaged infrastructure in several other areas, disrupting water supply channels, electricity transmission, and internet and mobile services.
Mohammad Hasan, a resident of Skardu, said snowfall on mountain peaks occurred intermittently. “I visited the Deosai plains two days ago. There was at least three inches of snow there,” he added. Jamil Nagri, DawnGB correspondent also confirmed the same.
Meanwhile, Abbottabad and surrounding areas experienced intermittent rain and snow, with temperatures falling below freezing. A couple who visited the northern regions in early May confirmed the same thing. Asad Mehmood Lodhi, the additional deputy commissioner (relief) of Mansehra, told iVerify Pakistan that the region received heavier snowfall this year in April.
These temperatures were already predicted by the PMD. According to a Dawn report dated May 2, the Met Office had forecast widespread rain, winds and thunderstorms and isolated heavy falls across GB and KP due to a westerly wave.
Research has shown that snowfall in northern areas of Pakistan traditionally occurred from late November to February, with January typically seeing the heaviest and most consistent snowfall. But in recent years, heavy snowfall has been reported through March, April and now May.
Also last year, sudden snow and rain were reported in Britain during March.
According to a report from a British-centric media outlet Pamir timethis temperature cycle was part of a broader climate change. “Global warming disrupts seasonal cycles, sometimes leading to milder winters and harsher spring cold spells,” he says. The report also cites the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), noting that it has identified the Himalayas and Karakoram as particularly vulnerable to such anomalies due to their fragile ecosystems and rapid glacier changes.
Haider Raza, director of nature-based and northern solutions at WWF-Pakistan, told iVerify that rain and snow after March 21 in northern areas was not unusual. “However, their intensity has increased in recent years, probably due to the effects of climate change and other anthropogenic activities,” he added.
Climate change expert Fatima Yamin said climate change has caused a massive transformation or change in Pakistan’s seasonal weather patterns.
“Precipitation patterns are also changing in frequency and quantity. This is why northern regions will experience longer summers with above-normal precipitation, while some regions will also experience below-normal precipitation,” she added.
Conclusion
Yes, the northern areas of Pakistan actually experienced snowfall in summer.
The weather had been predicted by the Met Office. In recent years, heavy snowfall has been reported through March and April in the north due to the effects of climate change.
This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.
