In what many are calling a critical development, a rickshaw driver drinks water as the feels-like temperature in Karachi soared past 54 degrees Celsius. — Online • Rapid warming spikes sharply up north; AJK, GB, KP record highest annual temperatures in 65 years • Extreme heat claims over 200,000 lives in Europe since 2022; El Nino threatens to compound weather extremes • Monsoon delayed in India ISLAMABAD: Pakistan recorded its second-warmest year in 65 years in 2025, intensifying extreme floods and creating a systemic risk to the nation ’ s economy, according to the Economic Survey 2025-26. Pakistan ’ s hottest year was 2024, the survey reported 2025 as the second-warmest year in 65 years, marking consecutive years of record high temperatures. Stakeholders across the nation are closely monitoring the situation.

The Broader Picture

The backdrop to this story helps explain both the urgency and the broader implications.

In spite of contributing less than 1pc to global emissions and 0.4 percent historically, Pakistan bears a disproportionately high burden of global climate change.

Over the last 50 years, the annual mean temperature in Pakistan has climbed by approximately 0.5°C, with projections indicating a further rise of 3 to 5 degrees by the end of this century.

At the same time, temperature anomalies reached 1.24°C in Gilgit-Baltistan, 1.29°C in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 1.56°C in Azad Jammu and Kashmir recording their highest annual temperatures in 65 years.

Expert Analysis

Experts and analysts have begun weighing in on what this means going forward.

The monsoon season from July to September recorded rainfall 23pc above average, while the year began with significantly below-average rainfall amid the January-March period.

Alongside the primary story, however, the survey warned Pakistan may fail to fulfil its United Nations climate commitments due to constrained international financing.

Compounding the significance of these events, ‘ Over 200,000 lives lost ’ As Pakistan endures record temperatures, extreme heat is claiming lives globally.

Impact on Americans

The downstream effects of this situation are being assessed by officials and experts alike.

More than 200,000 lives have been lost to the “ silent killer ” of heat in Europe since 2022, the World Health Organisation declared on Thursday, after a heat wave saw some countries record their highest-ever May temperatures.

At the same time, “ The impacts of climate change are a clear and present danger, and its most immediate and lethal manifestation is extreme heat, ” said Hans Henri Kluge, the WHO ’ s Europe director.

According to those with knowledge of the situation, el Nino is a natural climate phenomenon that warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, bringing worldwide changes in winds, rainfall, and erratic weather.

What has become increasingly clear is that major events follow familiar patterns, including droughts across parts of the Amazon, Indonesia, and Australia, disrupted monsoons in India, and shifting rainfall.

At the same time, india monsoon slows The anticipated disruptions are already manifesting regionally, as India is expected to receive below-average rainfall over the ne

Looking Ahead

The events outlined in this report highlight the complexity and significance of the broader issue at hand. Stakeholders, policymakers, and the public are expected to closely monitor what comes next.