Islamabad, May 30, 2025: At least 32 people have lost their lives and more than 150 others have been injured across Pakistan during a week of severe storms that followed an intense heatwave, officials confirmed on Friday.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Disaster Management Authority reported that five more people, including a child, were killed on Thursday due to heavy rains and strong winds in various districts of the province.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned that stormy weather is expected to persist in northern and central regions of the country until Saturday.
Earlier in the week, 10 people were killed on Tuesday, and 14 died on Saturday as violent windstorms and rain battered different parts of the country. In Sindh province, three children were killed in Hyderabad on Wednesday, a senior official said.
Most fatalities occurred due to collapsing walls and roofs, though at least two individuals died after being struck by solar panels dislodged by strong gusts.
Pakistan, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, is increasingly grappling with frequent and intense extreme weather events. This latest bout of deadly storms follows a scorching May heatwave, which in turn followed an unusually warm April and a dry winter.
Temperatures this month soared to as much as six degrees Celsius above normal, with some areas recording highs of over 48°C (118°F).
Fatalities caused by seasonal storms are unfortunately a recurring tragedy in Pakistan, but officials note that May saw an unusual frequency and intensity of such events, highlighting the country’s deepening climate vulnerability.
