SRINAGAR: Scorching heat, unbearable humidity, and ever-rising minimum temperatures have left Kashmir reeling.
June is breaking all previous records of sweltering heat. For the first time in recorded history, Srinagar has logged a minimum temperature of 25.0°C in June, the highest ever. The current average daily temperature for Srinagar stands at 29.2°C.
“We’re now waking up to temperatures that once belonged to the peak of summer,” said Faizan Arif, the founder of the popular weather channel, ‘Kashmir Weather’
If it was not enough, the day temperatures are making new records. On June 20, Srinagar recorded 35.5°C. It is the highest June temperature since 2005.. Even health resorts that have been known for moderate temperatures are now seeing an unusual weather pattern. At 18.8°C, Pahalgam registered the highest ever minimum temperature in June.
Call it a climate emergency, Kashmir is witnessing unusual weather patterns that have sounded a death knell to agriculture and the economy.
Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing rapid climate change. The UT is warming at a higher rate than the world average. The average temperature of Jammu and Kashmir has increased by 1.2 degree centigrade in the last 100 years. During the same period, the average temperature of the Earth increased by 0.8 to 0.9-degree centigrade.
Falling in the Himalayan region, Jammu and Kashmir has a geographic area of 101387 square kilometers. It excludes the 120849 square kilometer area, which is under the occupation of Pakistan and China. Around 20230 square kilometers, which comprise 19.95 percent of the total geographical area of Jammu and Kashmir, is under forest cover. The higher regions are covered by the Pir Panjal, the Karakoram, and the inner Himalayan ranges of mountains. Climate change has affected every aspect of life.
“Mercury is rising everywhere in the world. Temperatures in 98 percent of the globe are above normal. Jammu and Kashmir is no exception. Even in other parts of the country, the temperatures are rising,” said Faizan.
Even snowfall and rainfall patterns are seeing unusual trends. September, which was regarded as a pre-autumn month, has been witnessing extraordinary hot weather. Rainfall deficiency has become a new phenomenon. Last year, several water bodies dried up as rain played truant. Several areas faced water shortages.