08.03.10
World Wide Weather #11: Peshawar, Pakistan
This week’s post in the global weather and climate series features Peshawar, Pakistan.
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Karkhano Market in Peshawar, Pakistan. Courtesy of Wikipedia.
Historically part of the old Silk Road, Peshawar is located on a floodplain on the Iranian plateau, near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass and near the Kabul River. Peshawar is in northwest Pakistan, about 30 miles east of the Afghan border and 100 miles west-northwest of Islamabad. One of the oldest cities in Asia, Peshawar has a long and rich history, as it has existed in some form for over 2000 years. Peshawar is the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan and is home to about 3.1 million people.
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A few more facts about Peshawar (from Wikipedia):
- Time zone: Pakistan Standard Time (UTC+5)
- Elevation: 1,673 ft above mean sea level
- Climate zone: Semi arid (very hot summers and mild winters)
- Average high temperature: 104 °F (40 °C)
- Average low temperature: 39 °F (4 °C)
- Average annual precipitation: 16 inches (400 mm)
Current weather: Pakistan is currently in the midst of a brutal monsoon season, with numerous floods affecting millions of people. Many people have lost their homes and up to 1,500 people have died as a result of the floods. Peshawar is not in a monsoon region, but the area around this city has recently received record rainfall that has caused rivers to swell and flood the plains.
The following satellite image shows clouds, largely as a result of the Indian monsoon, sweeping up over Pakistan (highest cloud tops are in blues and purples; orange indicates no or very low clouds).
Infrared satellite image at 1845 UTC, showing Peshawar under clouds (click to enlarge). Satellite image from the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
Unfortunately, not much relief is in sight, as showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast for Peshawar all through this week into at least early next week. According to Weather Underground, Peshawar’s highs are expected to be in the low 100s and lows in the low 80s. The temperature on Friday is forecast to reach 109 °F, with a heat index of 114 °F.
For more information on Peshawar, here’s a link to Wikipedia.
For weather maps and information on current and forecast Pakistani weather, see the Pakistan Meteorological Department (Pakistan’s national weather service – it is in English!) and Weather Online UK (collection of maps and weather information for all over the world).
Next Tuesday I plan to take a look at the climate and weather in another part of the globe. As always, if you have any comments or suggestions for future cities, please leave a comment on this post!