Climate zones in Pakistan, 1991 to 2020
Share of Pakistan's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 1,174,900 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 872,586 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 81%, C (temperate) 7.6%, E (polar) 6.8%, D (cold (continental)) 4.7%.
BWh, hot desert, is the main climate of Pakistan, covering 66% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with BSh (hot semi-arid (steppe)) next at 8%. In plain terms, hot desert means very dry and hot. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 15% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to BSh (hot semi-arid (steppe)).
How Pakistan's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 12% | 2.9% | Cfa +2.2 percentage points | BSk -1.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 12% | 4% | BSh +2 percentage points | ET -1.9 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 15% | 5% | BSh +2.8 percentage points | ET -2.6 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 20% | 7.4% | BSh +3.8 percentage points | ET -4.1 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BWh Hot desert | 66% | 66% | 66% | 66% | 68% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 8.3% | 8% | 9.9% | 11% | 12% |
| ET Tundra | 6.2% | 6.4% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 2.3% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 5.5% | 4% | 3.1% | 2.4% | 1.5% |
| Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter | 3.6% | 3.2% | 3.4% | 3.7% | 3.7% |
| Cfa Humid subtropical | 0.8% | 3.1% | 4.1% | 4% | 4.5% |
| BWk Cold desert | 3.1% | 2.6% | 1.3% | 1% | 0.1% |
| Dfc Subarctic (boreal) | 1% | 1.5% | 2.1% | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | 0.8% | 1.4% | 1.8% | 1.9% | 2.4% |
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 1.1% | 1.2% | 1.1% | 0.9% | 0.7% |
| Dsc Subarctic with dry summer | 1.3% | 1% | 1.3% | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Dsb Warm-summer continental with dry summer | 0.9% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1.2% |
| EF Ice cap (frost) | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.1% | - |
| Dwb Warm-summer continental with dry winter | 0.2% | 0.1% | - | - | - |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | - | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Dsa Hot-summer continental with dry summer | 0.4% | - | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Dwc Subarctic with dry winter | 0.2% | - | - | - | - |
| Dfa Hot-summer humid continental | - | - | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Pakistan and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Lahore | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Karachi | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Peshawar | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Faisalabad | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Rawalpindi | Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter | Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter |
| Gujranwala | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter |
| Multan | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Hyderabad | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Quetta | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Bannu | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Sargodha | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Sialkot | Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter | Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter |
| Bahawalpur | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Arifwala | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Dera Ismail Khan | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Muzaffarābād | Cfa Humid subtropical | Cfa Humid subtropical |
| Battagram | Cfa Humid subtropical | Cfa Humid subtropical |
| Chunian | BWh Hot desert | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Jhang Sadr | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Islamabad | Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter | Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter |
| Shekhupura | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
Zones found in Pakistan
- BWh Hot desert
- BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe)
- ET Tundra
- BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe)
- Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter
- Cfa Humid subtropical
- BWk Cold desert
- Dfc Subarctic (boreal)
- Dfb Warm-summer humid continental
- Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean
- Dsc Subarctic with dry summer
- Dsb Warm-summer continental with dry summer
- EF Ice cap (frost)
- Cfb Temperate oceanic
- Dwb Warm-summer continental with dry winter
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was BWh. See data sources and licences.