Kashmir sizzles as Srinagar records 3rd hottest July day ever at 37.4 degree Celsius

Srinagar, Jul 5: Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 37.4 degrees Celsius on Saturday, making it the city’s third highest ever temperature in July, and a staggering five degrees higher than Jammu city, which usually bears the brunt of summer heat.

Director of the Meteorological Department, Mukhtar Ahmad, said the temperature in Srinagar on Saturday surpassed only in July 1946 (38.6 degrees Celsius) and 1953 (37.7 degrees Celsius).
On Friday, the city had recorded its second-highest July day temperature in a decade at 35.3 degrees Celsius.

The heatwave has gripped Kashmir for over two weeks, intensifying a deepening water crisis.
With no major rainfall in over a month, vast stretches of agricultural land in south Kashmir, including Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian, and Kulgam districts, are suffering.

Paddy fields are developing cracks, crops are withering, and drinking water supplies are under severe stress.

Aquatic ecosystems in the Jhelum River have also been hit hard.

Officials say fish and other aquatic species are gasping for survival due to shrinking waters and reduced oxygen levels.

Upper reaches of Srinagar, Budgam, Kupwara, Ganderbal, Bandipora, and Baramulla are also facing acute water shortages, both for irrigation and domestic use.

However, relief may be on the horizon.

The Meteorological Department has forecast intermittent to widespread rainfall across J&K between July 6 and 8.

Independent weather observer Faizan Arif predicted a 75 to 85 percent probability of temperatures falling by 4 degrees Celsius or more by Monday.

“If not Monday, then by Tuesday, a significant drop in temperature is guaranteed with 100 percent certainty,” he said.

Kashmir, known for its cool summers and crisp night air, is facing an alarming shift in its weather patterns.

Last month was the hottest June in 47 years, with a 50 percent deficit in rainfall.

Experts warn the latest extremes are part of a larger, long-term climate shift in Kashmir, one that threatens agriculture, water security, and the region’s fragile ecology.