Kashmir’s Snowy Sojourn Interrupted: El Niño Casts a Dry Spell Over Winter Wonderland The ethereal image of Kashmir blanketed in winter’s pristine white seems a distant memory this year. In place of the glistening slopes and powder-soft blanket, Gulmarg and the surrounding valleys wear a new, unsettling attire – one of barren brown slopes and anxious murmurs. Where has Kashmir’s winter wonderland, a crown jewel of Indian tourism, seemingly vanished? An Alarming Aridity: The answer lies in a stark statistic: a 79% rainfall deficit plaguing the Kashmir Valley throughout December…
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No Respite From Winter’s Grip: Temperatures Dip, Valley Braces for More Cold Days
The summer capital Srinagar witnessed a freezing temperature of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius, some 3.1 notches below normal on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday The surface of Dal Lake froze at various places in the interiors on Monday as the night temperatures continued to plunge below zero across the Valley. The summer capital Srinagar witnessed a freezing temperature of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius, some 3.1 notches below normal on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. Though there was improvement in foggy conditions, the residents said that the…
Read MoreKashmir Experiences Arctic Blast: Minimum Temperatures Sink Several Degrees Below Zero
The minimum temperature in the summer capital Srinagar dropped to minus 3.4 degrees Celsius from the previous night’s minus 2.8 degrees Celsius, officials said Kashmir reeled under cold wave conditions Sunday as minimum temperatures across the Valley stayed several degrees below the freezing point, officials said here. The minimum temperature in the summer capital Srinagar dropped to minus 3.4 degrees Celsius from the previous night’s minus 2.8 degrees Celsius, they said. Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district which serves as a base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra recorded a minimum…
Read MoreLoad Shedding ON: Kashmir Power Supply Disrupted as Dry Spell Reduces Water Levels in Reservoirs
Prolonged Dry Spell in Kashmir Leads to Electricity Woes The picturesque region of Kashmir is renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty, with its abundant water bodies, lush green valleys, and towering Himalayan peaks. However, the past few months have brought about an unexpected challenge for the people of Kashmir – a prolonged dry spell that has significantly reduced the water levels in the region’s vital water bodies. This has led to a domino effect, impacting the generation of electricity and, consequently, causing power curtailment that’s affecting the daily lives of…
Read MoreKashmir Faces Power Shortage as Dry Spell Reduces Hydropower Output
With prolonged dry spell leading to the reduction in water level in most of the water bodies across the Valley, the Kashmir-based power houses are generating less electricity, prompting the government to go ahead with power curtailment, causing immense hardships to the people. Pertinently, August and September—2023 has recorded deficient rainfall while the hot and humid weather conditions continued for weeks together, breaking the decades old record in the month of September. The hot and humid weather conditions resulted in reduction in water level in the famous water bodies including…
Read MoreClimate change to bring more extreme weather events to Kashmir, including September heatwaves
By: Wahid Bhat Kashmir is currently experiencing an unprecedented heatwave in September, shattering long-standing temperature records due to an ongoing dry spell that has persisted for the last 45 days. Srinagar, on September 12th, recorded a scorching maximum temperature of 34.2°C, a staggering 6.0°C above the normal seasonal average. This marks the second-highest maximum temperature ever recorded in September since the establishment of the weather observatory in 1891. The previous record of 33.8°C dated back to September 1, 1970, with an all-time high of 35.0°C set on September 18, 1934.…
Read MoreKashmir Heat Wave Worsens, Leaves Locals and Tourists Struggling
Kashmir is reeling from a heat wave after the valley earlier this week witnessed the second-hottest September day in recorded history, causing hardships to locals and tourists alike. On Tuesday, Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 34.2 degrees Celsius, six degrees above normal, the met office (Srinagar) deputy director Mukhtar Ahmed told PTI. He said it was the second-highest maximum temperature ever recorded in September since 1891, when the weather observatory was established. Ahmed said it broke a 53-year-old record of 33.8 degrees Celsius, recorded on September 1, 1970. The…
Read MoreKashmir’s summer capital records hottest September day in 53 years
The previous record was of 33.8-degree C recorded on September 1, 1970 Tuesday’s maximum temperature at 34.2-degree Celsius in Srinagar has broken a 53-year-old record. Sonam Lotus, Director at the local MeT department said that the present severe heatwave in Kashmir has broken the 53-year-old record in Srinagar where the maximum temperature was recorded at 34.2-degree Celsius on Tuesday. “Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 34.2-degree C, which is 6-degree above normal. It has broken a 53-year-old record of 33.8-degree C recorded on September 1, 1970. The all-time highest September…
Read MoreKashmir swelters in record-breaking heat wave, experts blame climate change
Erratic weather conditions outcome of climate change, says expert; prolonged dry spell led to prevalent weather conditions, says MeT; Sgr among 3 Kashmir parts surpass decades old day temperature; some relief expected after Sep 15 Owing to the climate change in Kashmir, the prolonged dry spell in Jammu and Kashmir parts has presently resulted in severe heat wave conditions, breaking the decades old records in the month of September here in the Union Territory. With no active Monsoon activity and also the absence of the Western Disturbance, there has been…
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