Climate

The climate is extremely dry both in the hills and in the plains in summer as well as in winter. The cold weather is very short, comprising only the months of December and January. The north-eastern part of the district has low mountain regions while most of the area is situated as a plain area. At Rajanpur, there is no weather forecasting station available. However, the weather and climate data available for the nearby district i.e. Multan and Bahawalpur have been taken and considered for Rajanpur District. District Rajanpur's weather history indicates that its weather is dry in general with low annual rainfall having uncertain and occasional characteristics. District's rainfall history indicates floods almost every year and wreak mayhem in the district. District's vast population remained badly affected owing to 2006 monsoon floods and hill torrents during 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011. The district is witnessing visible climate change impacts as its flood severity and frequency of occurrence has become unpredictable. Local people of the area term floods of 2006 and 2010 as the worst floods in the recent past and an emergency and red alert was issued by the government due to inundation of over 70% of area with crops completely destroyed and soils remained under water for months after the floods passed.

           Other factors with reference to the climate and weather of the district are disturbing humidity and devastating dust storms in the summer. Humidity is high and particularly in the rainy season rises to its maximum. The months of July and September are extremely humid. Violent dust storms often blow across the district before it begins to rain in the month of July and August. Sometimes they attain the speed of about 50 to 80 miles an hour causing great damage to the standing summer crops. When it starts raining it turns into a thunder storm of equal violence and velocity. During the last five to six years hail storms have become a usual phenomenon in late winter causing great damage especially to fruit trees and wheat crop. Floods have also been hitting the area for the last eight to ten years. The Indus river swells out of its banks a number of times but does not cause much damage. But when the hill torrents begin to over flow, due to the rains falling over the hills, furious floods result in the eastern plains of the whole of the district causing great devastation.

TEMPERATURE:

November and February are pleasant months with a minimum night temperature ranging between 40oF and 50oF. In March, the days warms up and the minimum night temperature is seldom below 60oF and often reaches to 70oF. From May to August the heat is intense everywhere and specially in the Pachad, where record maximum temperatures are marked and the minimum night temperature outside rarely falls below 80oF. August is sometimes rendered tolerable by a breeze, but is generally hot. In September and October the heat becomes gradually less oppressive.

In the hilly tract, the climate is cold from September to April, and mild and pleasant in the summer months. At Mari Peak, the night temperature rarely rises over 80oF. The misty clouds, characteristics of the Himalayas in the monsoon, are seldom seen and the rain generally takes the shape of an afternoon shower, after which the atmosphere resumes its normal dry condition.

District average Rainfall and Maximum discharge Reported:

Year

RAINFALL in mm

Rajanpur

Jampur

Rojhan

Tribal

Area

District Average

Rainfall

2017

94

77

105

181

114.25

2018

55

37

41

152

71.25

2019

173.5

132.5

137.5

251

173.625

2020

128

113

112.5

254

151.875

2021

51

21.5

49.5

172

73.5

01.01.22 to 29.08.22

232.3

238.5

244.5

457

293