Climate is a generalization of the day to day weather conditions over a long period of time; usually thirty years or more.

 Example: It may take many years for a desert to change into a forest.

 Weather

refers to the atmospheric conditions; like, rainfall, snow, temperature, pressure and wind; of any place for a short period of time.  Example: Thunder and rain are only for a short period of time.

HIGHLAND ZONE:
 Highland climate includes north, northwestern and western highlands.  The winter are very long, cold and snowy while the summers are very short and mild.

LOWLAND ZONE:
 Lowland climate includes the whole of the Indus Plains except the coastal areas.  The climate is arid and extreme with hot summers, cool and dry winters and summer monsoon rainfalls.  The amount of rainfall differs from North to South.

COASTAL CLIMATE: The coastal climate is located at the very coast of the river or sea. This region includes the southern coastal strip comprising of the Indus Delta, Karachi and the Makran coast. This kind of climate receives sea breezes through out the year.

Coastal Climate

ARID CLIMATE: The arid climate is found in the South-West Balochistan & the south-eastern desert of Pakistan. Arid climate is described as the most dry and hot climate with hot dust wind prevailing from May to September. There is a large amount of scanty rainfall in the areas with Arid Climate.
Arid Climate

aag

HIGHLAND CLIMATE

LOWLAND CLIMATE

Pakistan consists of four main seasons:  Cool Winter ( mid-November to mid-March )  Early Summer ( April to June )  Late Summer ( July to September )  Post Monsoon ( October to mid-December)

Pakistan's climate is varied because of the difference in altitude from one end of the country to another.
 During summer, the mountainous areas are pleasant and

temperate, but the Indus Valley swelter in temperatures of 100F (40C) or more.
 In late summer the southern region experiences monsoons,

particularly along the coast.

 In winter the low-lying areas cool down appreciably to average

temperature of 50F while the northern mountains ice up with the air well below freezing.

 The average temperature in Pakistan is 23.9 C. The average temperature range is 21 C.  The highest monthly average high temperature is 41 C in June.  The lowest monthly average low temperature is 5 C in January & December.  Pakistan's climate receives an average of 489 mm of rainfall per year.  On average there are 49 days per year with more than 0.1 mm of rainfall (precipitation) or 4 days with a quantity of rain, sleet, snow etc. per month.

There are many types of flood that occur in the country almost every year. y Monsoon floods: They are common in Pakistan. Monsoon rain can fill river basins with much water coupled with melting snows. Torrential rains from decaying monsoon low pressure area can also produce river flooding.
y Urban floods: They occur in the major cities of

Pakistan, they are also common in the monsoon season.

 Flash floods: They also occur in Pakistan, they are common in the northern areas of the country and cause great loss of life there.  Floods due to the breaches of river: Embankments and canal breaches are a frequent occurrence in all the districts of Pakistan.  Coastal floods: occur when a tropical storm makes landfall in the coastal areas of the country. The South-Eastern Sindh and the Makran coast bear the burnt of such floods.

Monsoon Winds Western Depressions Relief Rainfall Tropical Cyclones Hurricanes Thunderstorms

 Flood return nutrients to

the land.  Floods distribute rich sediments and refresh streams.  Floods spread a layer of alluvium.  Floods increase the fish production.  Floods recharge ground water supplies.

 The whole of Sindh, most of Balochistan, the

major part of the Punjab and central parts of Northern Areas receive less than 250mm of rainfall in a year. Northern Sindh, southern Punjab, north-western Balochistan and the central parts of Northern Areas receive less than 125 mm of rainfall.
 True humid conditions appear after the rainfall

increases to 750 mm in plains and 625 mm in highlands. There are two sources of rainfall in Pakistan: the Monsoon and the Western Depression.
 The former takes place from July to September

and the latter, December to March.

Monsoon is traditionally defined as a

seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation.

Nowadays, it is used to describe seasonal

changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea.
Usually, the term monsoon is used to refer to

the rainy phase of a seasonally-changing pattern, although technically there is also a dry phase.

The 2010 Pakistan floods began in late July 2010, resulting

from heavy monsoon rains in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan regions of Pakistan and affected the Indus River basin.
Approximately one-fifth of Pakistan's total land area was

underwater. According to Pakistani government data the floods directly affected about 20 million people, mostly by destruction of property, livelihood and infrastructure.

Rain in January 2011

Rain in 2010

Rain in 2010

o Relief rainfall is related to the height of

land.
o It occurs where moist unstable air moves

up a mountain or scarp edge, and it is chilled.

o This chilling causes heavy condensation

and precipitation, on the windward side.

o The lee slopes tend to receive sinking,

warming air, and a dry rain shadow area may lie leeward of the barrier.

 At start of summer, hot air rises up which also contains a high moisture content. When it reaches the higher layers of the atmosphere, condensation takes place.  This causes rainfall, often as thunderstorms.  Strong winds accompanying the storms may pick up as well.  Only the northern and north-western areas of Pakistan receive rainfall from convectional currents.  Southern Pakistan is deprived of convectional rainfall due to a temperature inversion layer.

 Tropical

Cyclones bring heavy rainfall and destructive wind to the coastal areas for a few hours.

 It starts from the Arabian Sea but

Natural Cyclone

it rarely reaches the coast of Pakistan, usually once every few years.
 This source of rainfall is totally

unreliable both in terms of when and where it will occour.

Cyclone in Pakistan

Thunderstorms are common in the northern and north-western areas of Pakistan. In Balochistan dust storms and strong winds are also experienced. Stormy rainfall and hail also occours as aresult of these winds which causes destruction to apples pears etc. Tropical cyclones from the Arabian Sea can also affect the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan.

THUNDERSTORMS

DUST STORMS

TROPICAL CYCLONES

HIGHLAND ZONE:-

Lowland zone

 Cold winters and mild to warm summers characterise the climate in northern

and north western areas of the highland zone. zone.  In northern areas the growth of trees is retarded, grass is burried under snow and in some places rivers also freeze. freeze.  Farming is not possible so people are engaged in indoor activities such as carpet weaving emberoidery work,poetry etc. etc.  Transhumance is also practiced i.e.moving of flocks up to the cooler highland in the summer and returning to the plains in the cold winter. winter. LOWLAND ZONE-SEMI ARID TO ARID:ZONEARID:
 The fertile plain of Punjab, drained by the Indus and its four tributaries has a

extreme type of climate. climate.  In daytime the summers are exremely hot winters are cooled to mild. mild.  There is a well developed Canal Irrigation system to raise crops like wheat and sugarcane. sugarcane.

Coastal Zone:
 A cool area so people often come to visit.  Many house paints are damaged due to salty sea breeze.  Oxygenated Air and Dust.  High amount of Precipitation.  Clear sky.  Sandy areas.

Coastal zone

Arid Zone:
 A dry and hot climate.  People move to cooler areas with their animals.  Hard to grow crops.  A rain in three years.  Karez is practiced.  In winter, cold and dry climate.  A deserted area.
Coastal zone

Arid zone

Arid zone

There are four types of Drought in Pakistan: 1. Permanent Drought: When crop cultivation is not possible without irrigation. 2. Seasonal Drought: Occurs in areas with rainy and dry seasons. 3. Invisible Drought: The result of water deficiency that reduces crop yields. 4. Unpredictable Drought: The result of abnormally low rainfall and high amount of humidity.

 Climate & Weather.  Climatic Zones.  Seasons of Pakistan.  Climate of Pakistan.  Climatic Elements.  Temperature.  Floods.  Rainfall.  Cyclones  Storms  Drought  Climatic Effects.

 www.google.com/images  www.wikipedia.com  The Environment of Pakistan by Huma Naz Sethi.