The Tempest!
Gusty winds, hailstorm, lightning, heavy rains wreaked havoc on Jammu and Kashmir in the last two days. It looked like William Shakespeare had staged one of his famous plays, The Tempest , in J&K! In the play, Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, used his magical powers to create a tempest that shipwrecks his enemies including usurping brother!
The Meteorological Department had issued yellow and orange alerts warning of intense rains and snowfall from April 18 to 21. It started on April 18 with intense rains in Kashmir. Heavy hailstorm in south Kashmir caused massive destruction to Apple orchards in south Kashmir especially Shopian. There was panic and chaos due to sudden change in temperature as a windstorm rattled Srinagar. Intense hailstorms added to chaos.
The dark clouds gradually moved towards the Jammu region causing massive damage in Ramban district. A large stretch of highway was also washed away. Besides hundreds of vehicles were buried under debris coming down the mountains washed away due to landslides after heavy rains. Three people have reportedly died due to cloudburst in Ramban.
What caused the sudden change in weather? Director Meteorological Department Dr Mukhtar Ahmad explains that there was a rise in temperature 6 to 11 degrees above normal temperature. He said this created too much instability to incoming Western Disturbances.
Experts too are concerned over increasing erratic weather patterns. Dr Jasia Bashir, Assistant Professor, Department of Planning and Geomatics, Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) says that Kashmir is experiencing increasingly erratic weather patterns, characterised by more intense rainfall, extended dry spells, and significant temperature fluctuations.
Dr Jasia, who has been doing extensive studies on climate change, states that climate extremes reveal a worrying increase in both precipitation and temperature anomalies across the region, indicating a growing trend of climate instability in Kashmir.
As per Dr Jasia’s study, data shows a notable increase in heavy rainfall days and intense precipitation events, escalating the risks of flash floods and landslides.
“Concurrently, longer dry spells are emerging, indicating the onset of drought-like conditions. Temperature records also reveal more frequent hot days, even in typically cooler areas, while extreme cold nights persist, leading to damaging freeze-thaw cycles,” Dr Jasia states. She notes that these findings point to a shift towards greater climate variability and unpredictability and called for urgent adaptation strategies to protect agriculture, infrastructure, and local livelihoods from the growing impacts of climate change.
Why is there massive fluctuation of temperature in Kashmir? On December 20, 2024, Srinagar witnessed the coldest December night at minus 8.5 degrees Celsius. This was the third-coldest December night in Srinagar since 1891. Srinagar’s all-time low for December is minus 12.8 degrees Celsius, recorded on December 13, 1934.
J&K has been witnessing rainfall deficit of over 80 percent for the last several years. There are clear indicators of climate change as winters in the last many years have been mainly dry and warmer in Kashmir.
On April 15, 2025, Kashmir witnessed the hottest day of the season. The summer capital Srinagar recorded 30.4°Celsius. This temperature is 10.2°C above the average temperature for this time in the year. Famous ski-resort Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded 20.7 C—11.2 C above normal. Popular hill station Pahalgam in south Kashmir too recorded 25.4 C, so far the highest of this season.
Srinagar last year witnessed a daytime average of 36.degree Celsius. The highest daytime temperature in July witnessed in the last 25 years is the same this year. According to data, the highest recorded temperature in Srinagar was 38.3 degree Celsius on July 10, 1946. On July 28, 2024, Srinagar witnessed 36.2 degree Celsius with a feel of 40 degrees.
Rising temperature in J&K poses threat to our water resources and importantly glaciers. We are surfing between drought-like or flood-like situations! The less snowfall and rising temperature has expedited melting of glaciers in Kashmir Himalaya. Kolahoi, the largest glacier of Kashmir’s Jhelum basin, is retreating at a fast pace due to a spike in temperatures triggered by global warming and extreme pollution. Thajiwas, Hoksar, Nehnar, Shishram, and glaciers around Harmukh are also melting fast.
Melting glaciers have led to creation of glacial lakes. Amid rising temperature, there is imminent danger of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF). In view of the risk of GLOF, J&K government has constituted a Focused Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) Monitoring Committee (FGMC), led by the Principal Secretary Home department to review the current status of glacier and glacial lakes in the Union Territory.
The Committee has also been tasked to identify the vulnerable glacial lakes in J&K in terms of GLOF, as per the list provided by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
As per an inventory of Himalayan Glaciers of Geological Survey of India, J&K has over 540 glacial lakes spread in an area of 2550.79 hectares while Ladakh has around 3200 glacial lakes spanning 9965.34 hectares.
J&K ranks third among the Himalayan areas which are vulnerable to climate change. J&K has been confronted with environmental challenges due to global warming, unplanned urbanisation, deforestation and vandalisation of water bodies. There is a need to take measures for mitigating ill effects of climate change.
We need a public movement to safeguard our forests, glaciers and water bodies. To tackle climate change, we need to bring changes in ourselves to safeguard the environment. We have to remember that our survival is at stake. Climate change is nature’s fury against us! It is now or never!
Author is Executive Editor, Greater Kashmir
