Geography
Ch#2; Climate
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Notes
Climatic Zones of Pakistan:
Pakistan is divided into 4 climatic zones:
● High-land zone/areas:
The highland climate refers to the climate of high altitude areas such as northern,
north-western and westerns areas.
○ Mild, short, and wet summers in the Northern Mountains. Dry and warm
summers in the Western Mountains.
○ Long, cold, and snowy winters with freezing temperatures.
○ Altitude-associated rainfall. The rainfall is highest in the northern mountains
(2000-8000 m above) because of more height.
○ The rainfall is relatively less in western mountains(1000-4000 m) as their height
is less than that of north-western mountains.
● Lowland Climate Zone:
It includes the Upper and Lower Indus Plain. OR the climate of the Indus Plain in Punjab and
Sindh.
○ Summers are hot, arid, and sometimes extremes. High temperatures.
○ Winters are mild and cool.
○ Monsoon rainfall occurs during summers between July and August. From north
to south, the amount of rainfall differs.
○ North and Northwest of the Indus plain witness thunderstorms. (In the lowland,
thunderstorms are very common.)
○ Rainfall is very less and most of the summer days witness high temperatures.
, ○ In comparison to the Indus Plain, the foothills of the Northern Mountains and
Potwar plateau are wet.
● Coastline Climate Zone:
Includes areas that are located along with the coastal strip running from Rann of Kutch at the
Pak-India border to Makran Coast at the Pak-Iran border. The coastal strip of Pakistan includes
places like the Makran Coast, Karachi, Thatta, Indus Delta, Rann of Kutch, etc.
○ Sea breezes blow throughout the year.
○ Humidity is very high. (above 50%)
○ The average temperature in coastline areas is 32°C.
○ Warm winds blow from Thar desert in the east.
○ The proximity to the sea causes a high level of humidity that crosses 50%
between April and September.
○ Rainfall is scanty which occurs only during summer because of monsoon winds
in the month of July or August.
○ Makran Coast also receives little rainfall due to the western depression winds.
Western Depression winds blow from the Mediterranean sea and enter
Balochistan from Iran and Afghanistan causing rainfall in places they cross.
● Arid Climate Zone:
It includes Kharan (south-west Balochistan), Cholistan (south-east Punjab), Thar (south-east
Sindh), Thal (north-east Punjab) deserts. It includes south-western Balochistan and south-west
deserts.
○ Dry days and cool evenings.
○ Extremely hot temperatures with dry weather.
○ The dust storms are frequent there.
○ During the day, hot winds called loo in Urdu blow across the plains.
○ The Thar desert receives little rainfall during monsoons.
○ There are dusty winds from mid-May to mid-September.
○ Extreme heat, dryness, and dust storms are some permanent features.
○ Winters are cold, with minimum mean temperatures about 4°C in the month of
January.
○ There is low rain in winter in south-western Balochistan.
○ The south-eastern desert experiences less rain in summer.
Ch#2; Climate
___
Notes
Climatic Zones of Pakistan:
Pakistan is divided into 4 climatic zones:
● High-land zone/areas:
The highland climate refers to the climate of high altitude areas such as northern,
north-western and westerns areas.
○ Mild, short, and wet summers in the Northern Mountains. Dry and warm
summers in the Western Mountains.
○ Long, cold, and snowy winters with freezing temperatures.
○ Altitude-associated rainfall. The rainfall is highest in the northern mountains
(2000-8000 m above) because of more height.
○ The rainfall is relatively less in western mountains(1000-4000 m) as their height
is less than that of north-western mountains.
● Lowland Climate Zone:
It includes the Upper and Lower Indus Plain. OR the climate of the Indus Plain in Punjab and
Sindh.
○ Summers are hot, arid, and sometimes extremes. High temperatures.
○ Winters are mild and cool.
○ Monsoon rainfall occurs during summers between July and August. From north
to south, the amount of rainfall differs.
○ North and Northwest of the Indus plain witness thunderstorms. (In the lowland,
thunderstorms are very common.)
○ Rainfall is very less and most of the summer days witness high temperatures.
, ○ In comparison to the Indus Plain, the foothills of the Northern Mountains and
Potwar plateau are wet.
● Coastline Climate Zone:
Includes areas that are located along with the coastal strip running from Rann of Kutch at the
Pak-India border to Makran Coast at the Pak-Iran border. The coastal strip of Pakistan includes
places like the Makran Coast, Karachi, Thatta, Indus Delta, Rann of Kutch, etc.
○ Sea breezes blow throughout the year.
○ Humidity is very high. (above 50%)
○ The average temperature in coastline areas is 32°C.
○ Warm winds blow from Thar desert in the east.
○ The proximity to the sea causes a high level of humidity that crosses 50%
between April and September.
○ Rainfall is scanty which occurs only during summer because of monsoon winds
in the month of July or August.
○ Makran Coast also receives little rainfall due to the western depression winds.
Western Depression winds blow from the Mediterranean sea and enter
Balochistan from Iran and Afghanistan causing rainfall in places they cross.
● Arid Climate Zone:
It includes Kharan (south-west Balochistan), Cholistan (south-east Punjab), Thar (south-east
Sindh), Thal (north-east Punjab) deserts. It includes south-western Balochistan and south-west
deserts.
○ Dry days and cool evenings.
○ Extremely hot temperatures with dry weather.
○ The dust storms are frequent there.
○ During the day, hot winds called loo in Urdu blow across the plains.
○ The Thar desert receives little rainfall during monsoons.
○ There are dusty winds from mid-May to mid-September.
○ Extreme heat, dryness, and dust storms are some permanent features.
○ Winters are cold, with minimum mean temperatures about 4°C in the month of
January.
○ There is low rain in winter in south-western Balochistan.
○ The south-eastern desert experiences less rain in summer.
