Owais Gul
Srinagar, Jul 5: In the ongoing heatwave across Kashmir, Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, has surpassed the seven-decade-old record, witnessing the hottest July temperature since 1953 on Saturday at 37.4 degrees.
According to the Meteorological department (MeT), the all-time third highest maximum temperature at 37.4 degrees over Srinagar was recorded today, while the second highest temperature of 37.7 degrees was recorded on 5 July 1953.
Director MeT, Dr Mukhtar Ahmad said that the all-time highest maximum temperature was recorded at 38.3 degrees over Srinagar on 10 July 1946.
An Independent Weather Forecaster, Faizan Arif Keng said that Srinagar has recorded the third all-time highest maximum temperature today since 1892; thereby it was the highest July temperature in the last 72 years.
He informed that Qazigund, a gateway of Kashmir, has recorded the all-time second highest July temperature today 34.6 degrees while the all-time highest July temperature was recorded on 28 July, 2024.
Similarly in Kokernag, the maximum recorded today at 34.0 degrees, was also the second all-time highest July temperature while the all-time hottest July day was recorded at 34.1 degrees on 28 July, 2024.
Pahalgam, a famous tourist destination, however, recorded the all-time highest temperature today at 31.6 degrees while the previous all-time hottest July day was recorded on 21 July, 2024.
In Kupwara, the mercury settled at 35.9 degrees, which was the highest July temperature for the station since 2006. The station recorded the hottest July day on 10 July, 2006 at 36.9 degrees.
According to Keng, hot and humid weather conditions may continue on Sunday, although there will be a relief by a few degrees. Major improvement, he said, is expected from Monday onwards.
However, the Director MeT, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, said that in between July 6 and July 8, the weather would be generally cloudy, with the possibility of intermittent light to moderate rain and thundershowers at many places, while a few places may receive intense showers with heavy rain at isolated spots in Jammu division.
The MeT has also issued an advisory, stating that flash floods at a few vulnerable places, along with landslides, mudslides, and shooting stones, are expected during July 6-8.
A rise in water levels in rivers, streams, local nallas, and waterlogging in some low-lying areas is also expected, the advisory added. (KNO)
