Pakistanis should prepare for a blistering Eid al-Adha. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) issued a fresh advisory today, warning of a heatwave that will grip large swaths of the country throughout the three days of the festival.
Daytime temperatures are forecast to soar between 40°C and 45°C in the plains of Punjab and Sindh. The mercury in parts of Southern Punjab and Upper Sindh could touch the 47°C mark by the second day of Eid, pushing heat stress to dangerous levels.
The intense heat complicates the logistics of the festival. Families spending hours in livestock markets or performing the ritual sacrifice of animals will face direct exposure during peak sun hours. Health experts are already flagging the risk of heatstroke, urging citizens to avoid outdoor activity between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
“The thermal gradient is widening,” a senior meteorologist at the PMD told reporters. “We aren’t just looking at high averages; we are looking at sustained, extreme heat that doesn’t offer the usual evening relief.”
While the northern mountainous regions—including parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan—will see slightly cooler conditions, the majority of the population in urban centers will face a punishing holiday. The PMD has advised provincial authorities to ensure hospitals are prepped for a potential influx of heat-related admissions.
For most, the focus remains on the sacrifice. But with the power grid already strained by cooling demands, the combination of extreme heat and potential localized power outages remains the biggest shadow over this year’s celebrations.
Keep your water intake high and limit time in the sun. The weather isn’t just hot—it’s hazardous.
