Weather Patterns: How Unusual is Lack of Rainfall in Kashmir?

August records lesser amount of rainfall, Srinagar records 9.2MM in entire, September would be driest month of the Year for J&K: MeT

• Srinagar records exceptionally low rainfall in August, with only 9.2 MM throughout the month.
• Several weather stations in Kashmir report decreased rainfall compared to normal.
• There is anticipation that September will be the driest month for Jammu and Kashmir, with no significant precipitation expected in the next two weeks.
• Director of the Meteorological Department, Sonam Lotus, highlights the dry weather forecast for the region.
• Despite the heatwave, people are flocking to hill stations and popular tourist spots to escape the high temperatures.

Amid the ongoing summer hot spells in Kashmir, several weather stations in the valley have received a lesser amount of Rainfall during August this year with Srinagar recording as low as 9.2 MM of rainfall in the entire month.

IMD reports reduced rainfall in Kashmir

Data shared by the Indian Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Kashmir weather station, five weather stations in Kashmir have recorded lesser rainfall than normal.

Recording the highest rainfall of 5.2 MM during the 24 hrs on the 15th of last month Srinagar weather station in the entire month of August 2023 has recorded only 9.2 MM of rainfall registering around 86% of rainfall deficit from normal.

As per the data available with Ground Report, previous lowest rainfall was recorded as 8.8 MM of rainfall in the year 1998, while the lowest ever rainfall in Srinagar was recorded as 2.7 MM in the year 1987.

The frontier district Kupwara recorded a total of 18.1 MM of rainfall last month, the previous lowest was recorded as 13.9 MM in the year 2009. The district has also registered a deficit of around 80% of rainfall from normal.

Gulmarg, Kukernag, and Pahalgam weather stations have recorded rainfall of 36.7 MM, 24.1 MM and 35.9 MM.

Lotus: Dry September for J&K, Ladakh

Meanwhile, Director MeT Sonam Lotus, formerly on Twitter as "X," stated on Thursday that September would be the driest month of the year for J&K and Ladakh, with no major precipitation expected for the next 2 weeks.

“Climatologically also, Sept. is the driest Month of the Year for J&K and Ladakh. No significant weather expected for nxt 2 weeks”, Lotus wrote on X formerly twitter.

The Meteorological Department forecasts dry weather for the next two weeks, with the possibility of isolated to scattered light rain on September 3-4, except for those days.

As Kashmir valley has been witnessing heat spells since the start of summer this year, people in the region have been thronging to the hill stations to beat the heat. Apart from the conventional tourism destinations in the valley, people specially the younger ones are camping in the alpine mountainous ranges for the days.

More to beat on the heat, conventional tourism destinations like Gulmarg, Pahalgam, and Mughal gardens in the valley are too abuzz and witnessing a huge rush of the local population specially school children for day-long picnics. 

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