Kashmir braces for season’s first heat wave

Srinagar, May 21:  Kashmir is bracing for its first heat wave of the season, with the Meteorological Department predicting temperatures to soar between 33 and 34 degrees Celsius from May 23 to May 29.

For hilly regions like Kashmir, a heat wave is declared when maximum temperatures reach 30 degrees Celsius or more, which is significantly above the average temperature range of 19.1 degrees Celsius to 27.6 degrees Celsius from April to mid-September.

Director of the Meteorological Department, Kashmir, Mukhtar Ahmad told Greater Kashmir that while the heat wave would primarily affect the plains, Jammu had already been experiencing such conditions.

He said that a heat wave is declared when temperatures exceed 4.5 degrees above normal levels, and warned, “The temperature will touch 33 to 34 degrees Celsius in the next 4 to 5 days.”

Ahmad said people should take necessary precautions to avoid heat exposure, stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, and wear lightweight, light-coloured, and loose cotton clothing.

“Vulnerable groups, such as infants, elderly individuals, and those with chronic diseases, are at a moderate health risk during the heat wave,” he said.

Ahmad said that the importance of preparedness was not only for heat waves but also for other extreme weather events like prolonged unexpected rainfall.

In response to the forecasted extreme temperatures, the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Srinagar has activated its “Heat Wave Action Plan” for 2024-2025.

The plan aims to mitigate the impact of extreme heat on vulnerable populations through early warning systems, coordinated efforts with concerned agencies, and public awareness campaigns.

“The plan’s primary objective is to alert populations at risk of heat-related illness like in places where extreme heat conditions either exist or are imminent, and to take appropriate precautions,” Ahmad said.

Under the heat wave action plan, the government has designated Departments and Nodal Officers who will provide resources, such as personnel, essential services, and materials, to support or assist affected persons.

The teams will convene meetings with departments, organizations, and NGOs involved in rehabilitation agencies to review mechanisms to respond to extreme heat events.

The Heat Action Plan brings together all stakeholders for a district-wide strategy in enforcing preventive mitigation and adaptation measures to check heat-related debility among people.

The residents are urged to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to safeguard their health and well-being during this period of extreme weather.

“Heat waves may have both direct and indirect impacts on human health, influenced by interactions between medical, environmental, demographic and geographical factors, which may further compound health-related effects. While it is clear that all people are at risk of illness and death due to exposure to hot temperatures, certain sub-groups are highly vulnerable in comparison,” reads an action plan document.