Скачать или смотреть Record-breaking heat in Kashmir

On 22nd May, Srinagar recorded 34.4 degrees Celsius - the hottest May day in nearly 60 years. And the heat didn’t let up. By June 20, temperatures climbed even higher to 35.5 degrees, marking the hottest June day in two decades. That night, the minimum temperature remained at 23.2 degrees, one of the highest in over a century.
Mukhtar Ahmad, Director of the Meteorological Centre in Srinagar, told ETV Bharat that Saturday recorded the third-highest July day temperature since 1946. “That year, temperatures hit 38.3 degrees Celsius, followed by 37.8 in 1953. Today, Srinagar reached 37.4 degrees,” he said.
Air coolers, once rarely seen here, are suddenly in demand. From city homes to villages, people are turning to water-based coolers that are affordable, widely available, and typically priced under ten thousand rupees.
Rainfall earlier this week brought brief respite, but the larger trend is clear. Kashmir is heating up and fast. Climate experts point to broader patterns. A combination of global and local factors is driving the change. Climate change, deforestation, vanishing water bodies, and unplanned urban expansion have all contributed to the rising heat.
Kashmir has seen temperatures rise by nearly 6 degrees Celsius in recent years. A prolonged dry spell and a 50 percent rainfall deficit this season have worsened the situation. Snowfall in the mountains - once a source of natural rainfall through autoconvection has also declined.
The heat is already affecting agriculture. Crops like maize, saffron, and apples - all sensitive to temperature changes, are showing signs of stress. The deficit has prompted the authorities to issue an advisory to farmers for rationalising irrigation in fields due to the low water table in rivers and streams.
Kashmir Director of Agriculture Sartaj Shah said they are working to chalk out a plan alongside the irrigation department and the Agriculture University to find a solution for farmers. He advised the farmers to sow an alternative crop like millets in the face of water shortage.
Urbanisation is playing its part too. While the Urban Heat Island effect is more commonly observed in metros like Delhi and Mumbai, experts warn that cities like Srinagar could begin to experience localised heating due to reduced green cover and increasing population density.


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Down to Earth is Science and Environment fortnightly published by the Society for Environmental Communication, New Delhi. We publish news and analysis on issues that deal with sustainable development, which we scan through the eyes of science and environment.