HeadlinesLa Niña to Bring Harshest Winter in Decades to Pakistan, Raising Concerns for Agriculture and Glacial Lakes
ISLAMABAD: A recent United Nations report has raised significant concerns, with experts predicting a severely cold and prolonged winter this year, potentially the harshest in decades. This forecast, according to Jang news, indicates that the unusually cold weather could exacerbate already difficult conditions for flood-affected families, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The report highlights several potential challenges stemming from the anticipated harsh winter. The cold snap could lead to disruptions in the harvesting of Kharif crops due to stormy rains. Furthermore, there is an increased risk of glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in the upper regions, and a potential shortage of water in rivers could negatively impact irrigation systems.
Experts attribute the likelihood of this unusually cold weather to the La Niña climate phenomenon. La Niña occurs when sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean become abnormally low, a condition that subsequently influences weather patterns across the globe. This specific La Niña event is expected to bring colder-than-average temperatures and prolonged winter conditions to Pakistan, necessitating proactive measures to mitigate its impact on vulnerable populations and agricultural sectors.
