What happened
Pakistan’s Meteorological Department said on 28 May 2026 that the country had set a new temperature record, with the mercury reaching 51.5 degrees Celsius in the southern district of Dadu in Sindh province, according to Independent Pakistan.
The reading, taken during a heat wave that had blanketed much of the country for days, exceeded the seasonal norm by 4.5 degrees Celsius. Larkana and Jacobabad, also in Sindh, followed close behind at 50.5 degrees Celsius.
The forecast
In a press release, the department said maximum temperatures would likely remain 4 to 6 degrees Celsius above normal in the coming days and could climb as high as 47 to 50 degrees Celsius across a long list of districts, including Sukkur, Shikarpur, Qambar Shahdadkot, Jacobabad, Larkana, Mohenjo Daro, Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Tharparkar, Badin, Sujawal, Thatta, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Umerkot, Ghotki, Khairpur, Nausheroferoze, Mirpur Khas, Jamshoro, Sanghar, Sibbi, Turbat and Panjgur.
For 28 May, it predicted mainly hot and dry weather across most of the country, with isolated rain, windstorms or thunderstorms possible in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and northeastern Punjab. Very hot conditions were expected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and central and southern Balochistan the following day.
Climate warnings
The heat arrived against mounting long-term warnings. The United Nations said the same day that global average temperatures are likely to remain at or near record levels this year and for the next four years. The World Meteorological Organization has calculated a 75 percent chance that the five-year average from 2026 to 2030 will exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Earlier in May, Pakistan’s meteorological service cautioned that El Nino conditions are likely to develop during the 2026 southwest monsoon, predicting below-normal rainfall over most of South Asia and higher-than-normal temperatures.
Flood risk
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s provincial disaster management authority warned of heightened danger from glacial lake outburst floods, saying rising summer temperatures and expected rains through 31 May are accelerating snow and glacier melt. The Met Office forecast rain, thunderstorms and possible hail from 26 to 31 May in Chitral, Dir, Mingora, Hangu, Swat, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur and Parachinar.
The authority urged district administrations to prepare emergency measures, keep relief teams on standby and remain in constant contact, and advised residents to move livestock and valuables to higher ground and avoid unnecessary travel.
Why it matters
The record reading underscores Pakistan’s exposure to extreme heat. The country contributes roughly 1 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions but ranks among the nations most severely affected by climate change, having endured repeated heat waves, droughts, flash floods and glacial lake outbursts in recent years. The UN warning and the GLOF alert show the heat is compounding flood risks in the north even as it sets records in the south.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of published reporting, not independent reporting. Sources reviewed on 2026-05-28.
- Independent Pakistan — "Sindh shatters heat record with 51.5°C in Dadu as UN predicts years of record global heat"28 May 2026 · Reports the Met Department reading, the district forecast, the UN climate warning and the KP GLOF alert.
