LAHORE: December 2025 has been ranked as the 7th hottest December in Pakistan, with the national mean temperature recorded at 14.28°C, significantly higher than the long-term country average of 12.77°C, according to data released by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). The month showed a positive temperature anomaly of +1.52°C.
Met Office data revealed that the hottest December on record remains 2016, when the national mean temperature reached 15.64°C.
Nighttime temperatures were also notably warmer. The country-level mean minimum temperature stood at 6.46°C, which was +1.61°C above the national average of 4.85°C, ranking as the 8th highest December nighttime temperature on record. The warmest minimum temperature previously recorded was 7.22°C in 2016.
Daytime temperatures followed a similar trend, with the national mean maximum temperature recorded at 22.01°C, showing a positive anomaly of +1.76°C.
The hottest day of the month was observed at Mithi in Sindh on December 10 and 20, when the temperature reached 34.5°C. Mithi also emerged as the warmest location overall, recording a mean monthly maximum temperature of 31.4°C.
In contrast, the coldest night of December was recorded at Skardu (Gilgit-Baltistan) on December 1, when temperatures dropped to –9.6°C. Skardu also remained the coldest place during the month, with a mean monthly minimum temperature of –4.0°C.
Rainfall across the country remained below normal. The national area-weighted rainfall was measured at 7.6 mm, representing a 43% decrease compared to the long-term average. The highest one-day rainfall of 32.0 mm was recorded at Rohri (Sindh) on December 31, while Kalam emerged as the wettest location with a monthly total rainfall of 46.1 mm.