The climate of Islamabad is a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa) with four seasons: a pleasant spring (March–April), a hot summer (May–August), a warm dry autumn (September—October), and a cold winter (November—February). The hottest month is June, where average highs routinely exceed . The wettest month is July, with heavy rainfall and evening thunderstorms, with the possibility of cloudburst. The coldest month is January, with temperatures varying by location. In Islamabad, temperatures vary from cold to mild, routinely dropping below . In the hills there is sparse snowfall. The weather ranges from a minimum of in January to a maximum of in June. The average low is in January, while the average high is in June. The highest temperature recorded was in June, while the lowest temperature was in January. On 23 July 2001, Islamabad received a record breaking of rainfall in just 10 hours – the heaviest rainfall in Pakistan during the past 100 years.
Factors The monsoon and the Western Disturbance are the two main factors that change the weather over Islamabad; otherwise, Continental air prevails for rest of the season. Following are the main factors that influence the weather over Islamabad. Western Disturbances occur almost every month in the city, but peaking during the winter months and causes moderate to heavy rainfall, temperature also decreases due to it. Fog does occur during the winter season and remains for weeks; especially near Margalla Hills. Dust storms occur during summer months with peak in April and May. These dust storms are quite violent. Southwest Monsoon occurs in summer from the month of June till September. These monsoon rains are quite heavy by nature and can cause severe flooding if they interact with westerly waves. Continental air prevails during the period when there is no precipitation in the city.
Monthly weather conditions The following is the monthly summary of the climatic conditions in Islamabad.
January
January is the coldest month in Islamabad. In January the weather in Islamabad is cold with some nights dropping easily below . Most days are clear blue skies; however, this month is prone to foggy nights and mornings. Near zero visibility is experienced during extremely foggy nights which hampers air traffic and motorways. The intensity of rainfall in this month is moderate to fairly-heavy similar to the western disturbance season in the city. Snowfall on higher elevations of Margalla Hills is common as it happens after every few years. It's not uncommon for Islamabad to receive light snow of in strong cold spells.Snowfall has occurred only rarely in Islamabad, with notable instances in February 1984 and January 1964.The average rainfall for this month is at Zero Point official observatory and at Chaklala (old airport). Western Disturbance has a significant influence in this month of the city. It produces rains and sometimes hailstorms. The highest temperature is (30 Jan 1995) and the lowest . While the highest rainfall for this month is recorded at Zero Point in 1995.
February The weather in Islamabad in February is warmer than that of January. The weather remains mild. Western Disturbance causes rainfall just like in January but the frequency and intensity of Western Disturbances are grater than in January. Average rainfall is relatively greater than January totaling to at Chaklala airport and at Zero Point official observatory. In 2013, record (Highest) rainfall of at Chaklala airport was observed and a thunderstorms outbreak was experienced from three Western Disturbances that caused bizarre conditions of frequent hailstorms and wind gusts. Moreover, hailstorms with thunderstorms are not a rare occurrence in this cool time of the year. Observations demonstrate that cold weather (below zero temperature) is not experienced after halfway through the month as plantation season officially begins during the last fortnight. On rare occasions, snowline has even dropped down just to in February because of which Margalla Hills have received heavy snowfall in some years (especially up to a total of of snow in 2005).
Snowfall on Margalla Hills 11 February 2016
On 11 February 2016, the Margalla Hills received snowfall that was clearly visible from Islamabad. While the city temperature was around , the higher elevation of Pir Sohawa caused temperatures to drop to near , allowing snow to form. Approximately of snow accumulated briefly before melting.
March Spring starts, and in this month, the weather begins to settle. In March, the weather turns warmer making it very pleasant. Average relative humidity in this month is about 37%. Again, Western Disturbance has an effect on the weather, producing rain and hail. It causes rain with strong winds. Western Disturbance has no specific timing, it affects the upper and northern parts of Pakistan including Islamabad, in every month and season. March 2015 set a record rainfall of a massive at Chaklala Airport. A few strong thunderstorms develop every year during this month, and sometimes these can be accompanied by dust storms and gusts near hurricane force at . Hailstorms are both greater in frequency and intensity during March, and weather can quickly change during the day. The highest temperature is , and the lowest is . The highest rainfall for March is (2015).
April Another spring month with pleasant temperatures. April in Islamabad transitions from warm to hot during daytime, while night temperatures begin to move from cool to warm. Typically, late April sees a sharp rise in both the day and nighttime temperatures. The mean high during the afternoon is , while mornings enjoy a mean of . Record high for April is a sweltering recorded on 29 April 2006 at Chaklala airport; on the other hand, a chilly low of was witnessed on 7 April 1994. The weather at times gets hot in this month. Humidity remains low in this month, about 24%. While the highest rainfall is (1983).
May At the start of summer in May, the weather becomes sweltering in the city. The highest temperature is (1988), While the lowest is (1997). Humidity gets extremely low in May as compared to other months, at just 19%. Evening thunderstorms can occur in this month accompanied by dust storms that give the citizens of Islamabad much–awaited relief from the scorching heat. The highest rainfall is (1965), The highest temperature ever recorded in Islamabad is (2024)
June June is the hottest month in Islamabad. Temperatures in this month can reach upto as recorded in 2005, while the lowest temperature is (2023). Until the first week of June, the weather is very dry. However, in the middle of June, pre-monsoon showers can start that come from the southwest monsoon. Dust storms are common in this month, which are locally called 'Andhi'. The highest rainfall for the month of June is (2008). On 23 June 2010, a massive dust storm of hit the city followed by drizzle before the storm, and temperatures peaked above for four consecutive days. On 1 June 2016, the most powerful windstorm in the history of Islamabad struck the city with estimated wind gusts of more than causing huge property damage, uprooting large number of trees and poles. Around thirty to forty people died in Rawalpindi and Islamabad due to that storm.
July July is the start of the annual monsoon season and the wettest month for Islamabad as well as for the whole Pakistan, that continues till September. In July Islamabad can see some very heavy falls of rain accompanied by strong thunderstorms and windstorms. These heavy storms are due to the moisture coming from Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal and sometimes if western disturbances interact with them, then record rainfall can occur. Humidity remains above 65%. The highest temperature in this month can reach and lowest temperature is and the highest rainfall for this month is , recorded at Zero Point H/8 official observatory in (2001). The heaviest rain in the city was also recorded in this month when of rain occurred in just 10 hours on 23 July 2001 the continuous downpour lasted from 0600 to 1600 PST. In July 2008, a severe rainfall spell, that lasted from 4 to 9 July, produced a heavy rainfall of in 5 hours. It was the heaviest short period rainfall in last six years reminding the cloud burst of 23 July 2001. While on 30 July 2010 a heavy downpour of occurred that caused flash floods in the city.
August Monsoon rains intensify in August. The month of August is the most humid month for Islamabad. The highest temperature is (1987) and the lowest temperature is (1976). While the highest rainfall for this month is (1982). On 9 August 2011 a cloudburst in Islamabad that continued for three hours and yielded of rain, flooded main streets. The year 2020 also saw record rains and caused havoc.
September End of summer in which, day temperatures remain a bit high but evenings, nights and mornings are quite pleasant. Temperature starts to drop more in the night and by the end of September, summer seems to have gone away and autumn starts to approach. However, in recent years the month has become hotter, although everything depends on the rains: if there is much rain in September, weather will change quickly, but if not, then the weather changes gradually. Monsoon rains continue till the first two weeks of September, but they can be showers till the end of the month. After that monsoon completely withdraws from the city. Western disturbances in September can cause strong windstorms with moderate to heavy rainfall. The highest temperature is (1982) and lowest is . The highest rainfall in this month stands at (2014).
October The start of autumn, with pleasant temperatures. Day temperature can be a bit high, which can cause discomfort in the sun, while travelling and sitting without a fan. Evenings, nights and mornings are very pleasant, which urge one to go for walks and for outings. October is the driest month in the city, though in recent years it has been raining a lot. Western disturbance affect the city which causes light rain. Sometimes thunderstorms occur, which cause the temperature to drop more. In the middle of October the night temperature starts to drop very fast and winds start to become very cold which causes more drop in temperature. The highest rainfall for this month is (2015). The highest temperature and lowest temperature is (1998) and (1984) respectively.
November The Start of Winter month in the city And temperature starts to drop a lot. Mornings can become very chilly. Warm clothes are pulled out to wear. Some afternoons of November are a bit warm, in which people still avoid direct sunlight. While at times people like to work, play and even stand in the sun. Showers or hailstorms occur in this month too. The highest rainfall for this month is (1959) and the highest and lowest temperature is and respectively.
December In the month of December the winter finally sets in, while the coldest winter of the city is observed in January, weather becomes quite chilly in December too. Hot drinks, like tea and coffee with soups become common in the city. Fish is one of the most enjoyed dishes of winter. Rainfall in December is produced by western disturbances. The highest rainfall for this month is (1990). The lowest temperature and highest temperature is and respectively.
Monsoon rainfall of Islamabad The average annual rainfall in Islamabad is . Monsoon season starts at the end of June and last until the end of September. In 2009, Islamabad experienced below– normal monsoon rainfalls due to the presence of El Niño over Pakistan. It recorded only of rain during the Monsoon season in 2009. The highest rainfall of was recorded in Islamabad on 23 July 2001. The record– breaking rain fell in just 10 hours, making it the heaviest rainfall in Pakistan during the past 100 years . The following is the moonsoon rainfall in Islamabad since 2006 based on the data from Pakistan Meteorological Department.