Srinagar among 2 Indian cities to shatter heat records in summer of 2025

Srinagar, Oct 20: A scathing reminder of the escalation of climate extremes, Srinagar and Itanagar had the highest rises in maximum temperatures against seasonal averages this summer.

Both cities endured a staggering 5 degree Celsius surge on July 20 this year.

The data, compiled by Down to Earth, and based on Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Heat Tracker, shows unprecedented spike topped anomalies across 12 Indian capitals with daytime highs exceeding normals.

In addition, 18 cities, including Srinagar and Itanagar, saw their minimum temperatures climb 3 degrees Celsius above average.

This turned the nights into nightmares, with unrelenting heat that refused to ebb while the sun set.

This July 20 event, attested by IMD data, was not an outlier but the definition of a year of relentless heat.

Srinagar broke records early: hitting 34.4 degrees Celsius on May 22, declared the third-hottest May day in 133 years.

It eclipsed 34.3 degrees Celsius from 1971 and approaching the all-time May high of 36.4 degrees Celsius set in 1968.

On June 19, the mercury soared to 35.2 degrees Celsius, the hottest June day in two decades.

A day later, on June 20, the season's fiercest reading of 35.5 degrees Celsius was another record, the highest for the month since 2005.

An even sharper 5 degrees Celsius anomaly struck on June 30.

It affected both maximum and minimum temperatures.

There has been a consistent 2 to 5 degrees Celsius deviation from June through September in both cities, the IMD data shows.

In 2024, six weather stations across J&K smashed their monthly highest 24 hour maximum temperatures in 123 years.

This record-breaking heat persisted for five months, the highest among states and UTs of India.

Srinagar and Itanagar’s surges are a result of overlapping threats, including accelerated Himalayan warming according to experts.

The rise in maximum temperatures is estimated to be faster than the global rate in the Himalayas. Simultaneously, the monsoon deficits also slashed rainfall by up to 50 percent this year.

In Srinagar, the gross neglect and erosion of green buffer has intensified Urban Heat Island (UHI) Effect.

UHI is a well-documented phenomenon due to concrete and asphalt surfaces absorbing and retaining heat during the day and refusing to cool off after sunset.

This intensifies the night temperatures in urban areas.

In Srinagar, the heat is exacerbated by the unrelenting onslaught on green cover including the urban forests.

Trees naturally mitigate heat through evapotranspiration, release moisture to cool the air.

The loss of a significant tree cover turns the cities into thermal traps.

A study, ‘Srinagar City: Urban History, Growth and Threats’ has noted that the expansion of Srinagar from 35 sq km to 80 sq km has been largely unregulated.

The dwindling green cover and broader climate change trends has transformed Indian cities into veritable furnaces.

Amidst the heat, the School Education Department changed the school timings to early mornings in June, as children faced dehydration risks.

Experts advocate reforestation drives, wetland revival, and climate-smart urban planning to make a dent into the heat onslaught.