Pakistan recorded the highest rainfall since 1961. Last April, the country received more than twice the normal rainfall, according to the local meteorological department.
In its monthly climate report, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said the country recorded 59.3 millimeters (2.3 inches) of rainfall in April, well above the normal average of 22.5 millimeters (0.9 inches) reported by Al Jazeera News.
Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan recorded the highest rainfall, 437 percent above average, the report said.
Meanwhile, in Pakistan, at least 144 people died due to lightning strikes and house collapses caused by heavy rains in April. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported the highest number of deaths at 84, including 38 children.
While life in most parts of Asia is bleak, Pakistan’s national monthly temperature in April was just 23.67 degrees Celsius (74.6 degrees Fahrenheit), 0.87 degrees Celsius below the average of 24.54 degrees Celsius.
Pakistan Meteorological Department spokesperson Zaheer Ahmed Babar said, “Climate change is a major factor that is affecting the irregular weather patterns of our region.”