August 2023 was the second driest August in Pakistan in the last 63 years, as the national rainfall recorded for the month of August 2023 was largely below average (-66%), the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said in its monthly climate summary published on Tuesday.
The driest August ever recorded in the history of the country’s weather was when it rained just “16.4mm” in 1993.
“The hottest day of the month was observed in Turbat (Balochistan) when it recorded 46.5°C temperature on 14th August 2023, whereas Dalbandin was the warmest place with 42.6°C mean monthly maximum temperature,” the monthly report stated.
The monthly report added that the daytime (maximum) temperature at the country level was recorded at 36.34°C, being 0.44°C warmer than the country average of 35.90°C.
Meanwhile, the coldest temperature (6.5°C) of the month was recorded in Kalam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on August 29, 2023, and coincidently, the same station was the coolest place with 10.5°C mean monthly minimum temperature.
“For Balochistan, it’s the driest August, for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab the second driest, for Azad Jammu Kashmir the third driest and for Sindh the sixth driest month,” the Met Office said in its report.
According to the PMD, the wettest day of the month in the country was August 5, when Gujranwala (Punjab) recorded 102.0mm rainfall; whereas Lower Dir was the wettest location with monthly total rainfall of 231.0 mm.
“The national mean monthly temperature of August 2023 for Pakistan as a whole was 30.44°C, being 0.19°C warmer than the average of 30.25°C,” the Met department’s summary read.
The night-time (minimum) temperature at the country level, the Met Office mentioned, was 24.50°C, being 0.20°C warmer than the country average of 24.31°C.
“The AJK with 32.34°C (+1.79°C) observed the highest of mean maximum temperature during past 63 years (the record was 32.03°C in 2009),” the PMD said.
The deaths of four Pakistanis in a boat capsizing event close to the southern Greek island of Goudos have been verified by the Foreign Office.
The incident happened on Sunday and at least five illegal immigrants drowned as a result. According to Greek Coast Guards, 39 people were rescued after the wooden boat overturned, but 40 more are still unaccounted for.
According to a Foreign Office spokeswoman, the four Pakistani nationals were among those killed in the catastrophe. In order to help the remaining Pakistanis and repatriate the corpses of the deceased, the Pakistani Embassy in Athens has been in close communication with Greek authorities, she said.
Additional information was given by Aamir Aftab Qureshi, Pakistan’s ambassador to Greece, during a press conference. According to him, there were 80 Pakistanis on board the doomed boat, and efforts are still being made to find the people who are still missing.
He added that the overcrowding on the boat was a factor in the capsizing. There are worries over the safety of the missing people because a sizable portion of them are children. He stated that five boats carrying Pakistani nationals were traveling illegally from Libya.
The public was also informed by Ambassador Qureshi that the government will pay for the return flight of the accident victims’ bodies.
Approximately 450 Pakistanis, including 250 Zaireen, have successfully crossed into Lebanon from Syria, according to the spokesperson for the Foreign Office, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch.
During her weekly briefing at the foreign office in Islamabad, she stated that Pakistan is pleased with the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly on the Gaza Strip, which calls for an immediate ceasefire.
In addition, she expressed her satisfaction with the elimination of limits placed on UNRWA’s ability to carry out relief activities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
It was stated by her that Pakistan is demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities in Palestine, an end to the genocide that is taking place in Gaza, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, unrestricted access to humanitarian aid for those who are in urgent need, full support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and its mandated humanitarian activities, and medical assistance for those who are in urgent need.
Moreover, she stated that Pakistan emphasises the need for the international community to hold Israel accountable for the war crimes and crimes against humanity that it has committed in occupied lands.
The Israeli aggression against Syria, the illegitimate acquisition of Syrian territory, and the massive devastation of Syrian infrastructure as well as civilian and military sites are all topics that Pakistan is extremely worried about, according to the spokesperson for Pakistan.
According to her, this attack on Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is a serious violation of international law to the highest degree. By expressing our support for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we are also expressing our opposition to the Israeli government’s attempt to acquire territory through coercion.
The resolution 497 of the United Nations Security Council, which declares the annexation of the Golan Heights by Israel to be null and illegal and to have no international legal impact, was reaffirmed by her organisation.