Climate of Lahore

Lahore features a five-season semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh)(from another source: Composite monsoon climate) with five seasons: foggy winter (30 Nov – 15 Feb) with few western disturbances causing rain; pleasant spring (16 Feb – 15 April); summer (15 April – June) with dust, rain storms and heat wave periods; rainy monsoon (July – 16 September); and dry autumn (16 September –14 November).

Weather radar of Lahore, located on Jail Road.

The hottest month is June, where average highs routinely exceed 40 °C (104.0 °F). The wettest month is July, with heavy rainfalls and evening thunderstorms with the possibility of cloudbursts. The coolest month is January with dense fog.

The city's highest maximum temperature was 48.3 °C (118.94 °F) recorded on May 30, 1944.[1] And 48 °C (118 °F) was recorded on June 9, 2007.[2] The lowest temperature recorded in Lahore is –2.2 °C, recorded on 17 January 1935 [3][4]

Climate data for Lahore (1961–1990), extremes (1931–2018)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 27.8
(82.0)		 33.3
(91.9)		 37.8
(100.0)		 46.1
(115.0)		 48.3
(118.9)		 47.2
(117.0)		 46.1
(115.0)		 42.8
(109.0)		 41.7
(107.1)		 40.6
(105.1)		 35.0
(95.0)		 30.0
(86.0)		 48.3
(118.9)
Average high °C (°F) 19.8
(67.6)		 22.0
(71.6)		 27.1
(80.8)		 33.9
(93.0)		 38.6
(101.5)		 40.4
(104.7)		 36.1
(97.0)		 35.0
(95.0)		 35.0
(95.0)		 32.9
(91.2)		 27.4
(81.3)		 21.6
(70.9)		 30.8
(87.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 12.8
(55.0)		 15.4
(59.7)		 20.5
(68.9)		 26.8
(80.2)		 31.2
(88.2)		 33.9
(93.0)		 31.5
(88.7)		 30.7
(87.3)		 29.7
(85.5)		 25.6
(78.1)		 19.5
(67.1)		 14.2
(57.6)		 24.3
(75.8)
Average low °C (°F) 5.9
(42.6)		 8.9
(48.0)		 14.0
(57.2)		 19.6
(67.3)		 23.7
(74.7)		 27.4
(81.3)		 26.9
(80.4)		 26.4
(79.5)		 24.4
(75.9)		 18.2
(64.8)		 11.6
(52.9)		 6.8
(44.2)		 17.8
(64.0)
Record low °C (°F) −2.2
(28.0)		 0.0
(32.0)		 2.8
(37.0)		 10.0
(50.0)		 14.0
(57.2)		 18.0
(64.4)		 20.0
(68.0)		 19.0
(66.2)		 16.7
(62.1)		 8.3
(46.9)		 1.7
(35.1)		 −1.1
(30.0)		 −2.2
(28.0)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 23.0
(0.91)		 28.6
(1.13)		 41.2
(1.62)		 19.7
(0.78)		 22.4
(0.88)		 36.3
(1.43)		 202.1
(7.96)		 163.9
(6.45)		 61.1
(2.41)		 12.4
(0.49)		 4.2
(0.17)		 13.9
(0.55)		 628.8
(24.78)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 218.8 215.0 245.8 276.6 308.3 269.0 227.5 234.9 265.6 290.0 259.6 222.9 3,034
Source 1: NOAA (1961-1990) [5]
Source 2: PMD[6]

Factors

Monsoons and western disturbances are the two main factors that affect the weather in Lahore; otherwise, continental air prevails for rest of the seasons. Following are the main factors that influence the weather of Lahore.

  • Western disturbances generally occur during the winter months and cause moderate rainfall; rarely, hailstorms also occur.
  • Fog is dense during the winter season and remains for days to weeks.
  • Dust storms occur during summer months, peaking in May and June.
  • Heat waves are intense in May and June.
  • Southwest monsoons also occur in the summer, from June until September. These heavy monsoon rains bring relief from scorching heat.
  • Continental air prevails during the period when there is no precipitation in the city.

Monsoon rainfall
Gulberg covered in hail from a hailstorm on 26 February 2011.

The average monsoon rainfall precipitation in Lahore is 628.8 millimetres (24.76 in).[4] Monsoon rains commence from the last week of June and persist until the end of September. In 2009, Lahore saw below-normal monsoon rainfalls due to the presence of El-Nino over Pakistan.[7] Following are monsoon rainfall precipitation data for Lahore since 2007, taken from the Pakistan Meteorological Department:[8]

Annual rainfall

Lahore mainly receives its rainfall during the monsoon season from June till September, and in winter season from December till February. The highest-ever annual rainfall in Lahore was recorded in 2011 when 1,576.8 millimetres (62.08 in) of rainfall was recorded.[1] Lahore received below normal rains in 2009, and normal rains in 2007 and 2010. The following is the Annual rainfall in Lahore since 2007 based on data from the Pakistan Meteorological Department.[8]

  • In 2007, a total of 716 millimetres (28.2 in) rain was recorded.[27]
  • In 2008, a total of 917 millimetres (36.1 in) rain was recorded.[28]
  • In 2009, a total of 468.4 millimetres (18.44 in) rain was recorded.[29]
  • In 2010, a total of 738 millimetres (29.1 in) rain was recorded.[30]
  • In 2011, a total of 1,576.8 millimetres (62.08 in) rain was recorded as of September 21, 2011.[31]

Extreme weather events
  • On February 26, 2011 Lahore received an isolated but strong hailstorm measuring 4.5 cm that carpeted several roads of the city. The hailstorm was the heaviest in Lahore for the last 30 years.[32][33] Usually hailstorms occur in the plain areas of the Punjab province during the winter season.[34] Hailstorm lasted for 30 minutes intermittently with heavy rain showers.[35] According to Meteorological Department the city received 12 millimetres (0.47 in) of rain and 4.5 centimetres (1.8 in) of hail at the airport (liquid precipitation).[36][37]

See also

References
  1. http://www.pmd.gov.pk/cdpc/extrems/lahore.htm
  2. "Heatwave to persist for 4-5 days", The Dawn, June 10, 2007.
  3. "LAHORE". www.pmd.gov.pk. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  4. http://www.pakmet.com.pk/cdpc/Climate/Lahore_Climate_Data.txt Archived June 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  5. "Lahore Climate Normals 1961-1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  6. "Extremes of Lahore". Pakistan Meteorological Department. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  7. http://www.pakmet.com.pk/monsoon2009ver.pdf Archived March 15, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  8. http://www.pakmet.com.pk/ Archived September 1, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  9. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20120315190612/http://www.pakmet.com.pk/rnd/rnd_files/vol2_Issue3/6.%20WEATHER%20IN%20PAKISTAN.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2011. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20120315190530/http://www.pakmet.com.pk/rnd/rnd_files/vol3_issue5/8.%20WEATHER%20IN%20PAKISTAN%20_july-September%202005_.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2011. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20120315190102/http://www.pakmet.com.pk/rnd/rnd_files/vol4_issue7/7.%20WEATHER%20IN%20PAKISTA1%20Monsoon%20Season%20_July-September_.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2011. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. https://web.archive.org/web/20100729125042/http://www.pakmet.com.pk/FFD/index_files/rainjune.htm. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. https://web.archive.org/web/20100729125013/http://www.pakmet.com.pk/FFD/index_files/rainjuly.htm. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. http://www.pakmet.com.pk/FFD/index_files/rainaug.htm Archived July 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  15. "Rainfall Statement For The Month of September 2008". September 2008. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  16. https://web.archive.org/web/20100729124910/http://www.pakmet.com.pk/FFD/index_files/rainfalljune09.htm. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. https://web.archive.org/web/20100729124906/http://www.pakmet.com.pk/FFD/index_files/rainfalljuly09.htm. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. https://web.archive.org/web/20100729115503/http://www.pakmet.com.pk/FFD/index_files/rainfallaug09.htm. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. https://web.archive.org/web/20100729125005/http://www.pakmet.com.pk/FFD/index_files/rainfallsep09.htm. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. https://web.archive.org/web/20100729124915/http://www.pakmet.com.pk/FFD/index_files/rainfalljune10.htm. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. https://web.archive.org/web/20100820185911/http://www.pakmet.com.pk/FFD/index_files/rainfalljuly10.htm. Archived from the original on 20 August 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. https://web.archive.org/web/20100921231522/http://www.pakmet.com.pk/FFD/index_files/rainfallaug10.htm. Archived from the original on 21 September 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  23. https://web.archive.org/web/20100823050801/http://www.pakmet.com.pk/FFD/index_files/rainfall.htm. Archived from the original on 23 August 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  24. http://www.pakmet.com.pk/FFD/index_files/daily/rainfallsep1.htm. Retrieved 7 October 2011. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  25. https://web.archive.org/web/20120719191230/http://namc.pmd.gov.pk/fog.php?type=f&page=46. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2012. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  26. https://web.archive.org/web/20120714003152/http://www.pmd.gov.pk/FFD/index_files/daily/rainfalljul12.htm. Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2012. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  27. "Rainfall Statements for the year 2007". Pakmet.com.pk. Archived from the original on 26 August 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  28. "Rainfall Statements for the year 2008". Pakmet.com.pk. Archived from the original on 26 August 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  29. "Rainfall statements for the year 2009". Pakmet.com.pk. Archived from the original on 26 August 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  30. "Rainfall statements for the year 2010". Pakmet.com.pk. Archived from the original on 26 August 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  31. "Rainfall statements for the year 2011". Pakmet.com.pk. Archived from the original on 26 September 2010. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  32. "Lahore Snow (Hailstorm) Pics (Feb 26, 2011) – Paki Mag". www.pakimag.com.
  33. "Lahore Hailstorm – Paki Mag". www.pakimag.com.
  34. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  35. "HAIL STORM in LAHORE". 26 February 2011.
  36. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  37. http://www.pakmet.com.pk/FFD/index_files/rainfallfeb11.htm. Retrieved 3 March 2011. Missing or empty |title= (help)
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