Raja Syed Rather
Srinagar, Jul 31: Amid the frequent wet spells in Jammu and Kashmir this month, the summer capital of the Union Territory—Srinagar has broken all previous records as for the first time since 1891, the station has received a precipitation of 187.2 mm.
It has been after 131 years that Srinagar has witnessed such a huge precipitation in July month.
Independent Weather Forecaster, Faizan Arif Keng said that Srinagar records wettest July in at least 131 years, saying that the Rambagh Observatory in Srinagar received the highest total rainfall in July since its establishment in 1891, recording 187.2 mm of rainfall this July.
“The majority of this rainfall occurred during three spells: 20.0 mm on 08 July, 50.6 mm on 20 July, and 53.4 mm on 27 July,” he said, adding that before this year, the highest-ever rainfall recorded in the month of July was 182.6 mm in 1988.
Some of the areas in the Valley also received record-breaking precipitation in the month of July, he said, adding that Qazigund in South Kashmir has recorded the highest rainfall in this month in 28 years.
A total rainfall of 197.7 mm was recorded in July 2023 at Qazigund, he said, adding that the previous record and all-time record is 280.1 mm in 1995, saying that the highest rainfall has been recorded since 1996.
In Pahalgam, a precipitation of 225.5 mm was recorded in July 2023 while the previous & all-time record is 232.6 mm in 2021, adding that this month’s precipitation is the second highest rainfall since the weather observatory was set up in 1978 or 2nd highest rainfall in 45 years.
At Kokernag, highest rainfall was recorded in the last eight years as a total rainfall of 198.0 mm was recorded in July 2023 while the previous record was 204.3 mm in 2015.
However, he said that the all-time record in Kokernag is 246.2 mm in 1995, therefore, the area has received the highest rainfall since 2016.
In Gulmarg, highest rainfall has been recorded in the last 13 years as a total rainfall of 144.8 mm was recorded in July 2023, he said, adding that the previous record was 220.9 mm in 2010 and the all-time record is 255.3 mm in 1993. “Therefore, Gulmarg a famous ski-resort has recorded highest rainfall since 2011,” he said.
