Dispatches

Why is Lahore Burning? The Growing Crisis of Urban Heat Islands

Once celebrated for its four distinct seasons, Lahore now alternates between suffocating smog and extreme heat. With tree cover down 70% and green spaces down to just 2.8%, urban expansion is turning the city into a concrete furnace.

Asif Mahmood

Asif Mahmood

Senior Environmental Correspondent

Jul 6, 2026, 3:25 PM·1 min read
Scorching summer sun beating down on dense concrete buildings and traffic congestion in Lahore.

Unchecked urban sprawl and the replacement of lush greenery with asphalt have triggered a severe Urban Heat Island effect across Lahore.

The Express Tribune

Why is Lahore Burning? The Growing Crisis of Urban Heat Islands

Watch full story 

Filed under

LahoreUrban Heat IslandClimate CrisisUrbanisationDeforestationEnvironmentHeatwaveVideo

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