Chapter: Climate and Rainfall of PAKISTAN.

Climate: The weather and the overall view of the atmosphere. → it involves the humidity, aridity, rainfall and
temperature.
Zones of Climate: 1. Highland Climatic zone. [Northern and North western highlands and Baluchistan Plateau]
2. Lowland climatic Zones. [Indus plain and potwar plateau]
3. Coastal climate [Karachi and the area relating lasbela plain and makran coast.]
4. Arid Climatic areas [Areas surrounding deserts like Quetta.]

HIGHLAND CLIMATE:
→ Climatic conditions are cool. → Long winter which are cold and contains snow fall.
→ Summers are moderate and short. → Because of greater height there is greater rainfall.
→ as the height decreases the rainfall also decreases. . → Western mountains experiences less rainfall. .
→ That rainfall occurs in winter season. . → The areas of Gilgit, chitral are rain shadow areas. .
→Rainfall occurs in winter season and it converts into snowfall. .
→ Temperature is normal at summer season. . →Winters are cold and freezing. . → it depends upon altitude .
→ In western mountains where there is lesser heights there is warm, dry and mild temperature.

LOWLAND CLIMATE:
→ Contains the part of upper Indus plain and potwar plateau. → Area experiences monsoon rainfall.
→ This comes in summer session. → In summer the climate is hot and it extends further high until rainfall comes
and the hot temperature is draw backwards. → Winters are cool and mild.
→ When moving towards south, to lesser height the rainfall decreases.
→Potwar plateau is wet than the Indus plain. → Thunder storm is also common.

COASTAL CLIMATE:
→ region of southern coastal strip
1. Indus delta. 2. Karachi. 3. Makran coast.
→ There is very high sea breeze. → Sea keeps the temperature moderate. → Due to prevailing winds the temperature
is kept normal. →Nature or land and sea water is different. → SEA: - it heats up slowly and cools quickly.
→ LAND: lands heats up quickly. → Humidity is high because of high temperature and sea. → Rainfall is scanty. →
From Karachi to ran of katch rainfall occurs during summer. →only makran coast has rainfall in winter.

ARID CLIMATE:
→ this is experience by deserts or areas surrounded by deserts. →South eastern deserts of sindh and south western
deserts of Baluchistan. → Extreme hot climate. → Dusty winds and high tides. → south eastern desert experience
rainfall in summer monsoon which is very little. →south western have winter rainfall.

RAINFALL:
→ a little humid condition in northern side. → amount of rainfall decreases from north to south.
TYPES OF RAINFALL:
1. WESTERN DEPRESSION. 2. MONSOON RAINFALL. 3. RELIEF RAINFALL. 4. CONVECTIONAL.
WESTERN DEPRESSION: →occurs from Mediterranean sea. →forms air depression in atmosphere. → increase in
atmospheric pressure. → enters in Pakistan from western side after crossing Afghanistan. → areas that comes under
western side at start of the season are Chitral, Dir and Peshawar. → after that it leads to Quetta.
→this rainfall occurs in winter season. → month of December till March.

MONSOON RAINFALL: → winds originate from Bay of Bengal. →Enters in india after crossing Bangladesh and
brings heavy rainfall in India. → the tail end enters Pakistan from northern side. → Monsoon season is June and july
and august. → Lahore rainfall months are july and august. →Some winds enter into Pakistan from coastal side which
is Karachi. →They are weaker winds as compare to the monsoon. →Monsoon ends in September.

RELIEF RAINFALL: →this rainfall is height dependent. → When moist and unstable air moves up and chilled. →
Condensation occurs. → When the clouds strike the slope rainfall occurs. → Murree and kakul have overall relief
rainfall.

TROPICAL RAINFALL: → it is a heavy rainfall system. → It comes with destructive winds. →Develops over sea
due to convection currents. →In some areas they are very common. → These occur in summer season.

EFFECTS OF RAINFALL [MONSOON]:

→ Main rainfall are monsoon and western depression. → monsoon rainfall brings more rainfall. → limited
agriculture because fields remain flooded. → this rainfall causes flood. → the storage of water in dams increases. →
this water can be utilized in dry seasons when there would be less rainfall. → crop planning in rain fed farms get
difficult because of fluctuation in amount and abnormal occurrence. → potwar plateau has small irrigation system but
other regions do not have it. → because of irregular terrain, mountainous height and flat surfaces.

EFFECTS OF RAINFALL [WESTERN DEPRESSION]:

→significant and vital for farmers in western side. → this rainfall supports farming in northern and north western
side. → light shower with no thunder storms.

FACTORS FOR CLIMATIC CONDITIONS:

1. Mountainous region. In which more altitude possesses lesser temperature.
2. Coastal plains in which climate is controlled by sea.
3. Extra ordinary altitude and relief rainfall.
4. LATITUDINAL EFFECT: high temperature in central Pakistan because of this effect.
5. Monsoon conditions because of sea and rivers and pretty high temperature.
6. In summers, temperature is slightly dropped by monsoon rainfall.
CLIMATIC EFFECTS ON RAINFALL:
1. Winters gets freezing temperature in northern and north western side.
→ Trees cannot be grown and grasses are covered by snow. → Farming not possible because of snow. → Due to
freezing climate people involves in indoor activities like carpet weaving and pottery. → Livestock farming is done
which is called “Transhumance farming.” →extreme northern areas are fully inaccessible due to landslides and
avalanches. →moving south, temperature increases. → mountain and areas are barren due to harsh climate.
→least amount of rainfall. → apples, mangoes, apricots and grapes are fruits grown there.
ARID CLIMATE:
→desert areas. → divided into 2 parts. → kharan deserts and south eastern deserts. → highest temperature bearing
areas. → winters are mild and warm. → nomadic farming is practiced. → shortage of food and water. → irrigation
system is karez, which is inland irrigation developed at the foothills of mountains. → it saves water to get evaporated.
→ highland of Baluchistan are dry and pretty cold. → Suitable for growing fruits like apples, peaches and melons. →
crops are wheat, barley and millets. → sindh comes under rainfall deserts. → most of the fields are productive. →
because of canal irrigation. → Supportive climate. → Fields are good for wheat, millets and sugar cane.
LOWLAND [ALSO CALLED SEMI-ARID]:
→plains are very fertile. → Drained by Indus and its tributaries. → daytime:- summers are hot. → winters are cold
and mild. →
FLOODS: →excessive water in river causes flood. →when Indus and its tributaries extends and there is an increase
in volume, flood is developed. → after 7-8 years serious flood occurs in all of the areas.
PREVENTION FROM FLOODS: 1. Keeping an eye on water level in the rivers and then divide the water flow
into different areas. → if flood going to occur then immediate evacuation of that area. → Planting eucalyptus trees
which stops the floods and controls the pressure of water. → Enlargement of river channels. → Building reservoirs
and dams and cleaning of siltation in dams. →Issuing flood warnings.
ADVANTAGES OF FLOODS: →refuels the soil with the nutrition’s. → Returns the alluviality of the soils and
resets the fertility which makes land more productive. →rivers overflow their banks to protect from serious flooding.
→ Breeding and production of sea animals. → Water may be stored for emergency purposes.
STORMS:
1. Most occurrence in northern and north western areas.
2. Monsoon climate. [April to July]
3. Contains strong and dusty winds by means of convection currents.
4. Southern part also faces storm due to low pressure and rough winds prevails.

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By: Cambridge International University LONDON.