Lahore endured felt temperatures of 50°C on Thursday, with heat intensity soaring to a life-threatening 60°C, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). The city’s official mercury reading hit 44°C, but dry winds and humidity made conditions far worse. Officials warned the heatwave could intensify by another 7°C in the next 24 hours before a potential cool-down by June 14.
Punjab’s Health Department reported 67 heatstroke cases in early June, linked to prolonged exposure. Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) faced similar extremes, with Peshawar at 40°C (expected to rise to 44°C) and Dera Ismail Khan baking at 47°C. Southern Punjab’s Cholistan Desert neared 48°C, with no immediate relief in sight.
Meteorologists attributed the crisis to a prolonged May-June dry spell, worsened by high humidity (52% in Peshawar). While KP may see light rainfall by Friday, Lahore and central Punjab must wait days for possible respite. The PMD urged citizens to avoid outdoor activity during peak hours.
With power grids straining and hospitals on alert, Pakistan faces a public health emergency. The PMD’s forecast offers little comfort—extreme heat will persist in most regions, testing resilience in one of the harshest summers on record. As climate change fuels such events, calls for long-term adaptation strategies grow louder.