🔆 Kashmir’s Scorching Summer: Heat Records and Urban Impact
📍 Seven-decade high in Srinagar amid erratic climate shifts
✅ Record-Breaking Heat in Kashmir:
◦ Srinagar recorded a seven-decade high temperature on July 5, 2025, reaching 37.4°C — third-highest for July on record.
◦ Pahalgam hit 31.6°C, its highest ever; June 2025 was the hottest in Kashmir in nearly 50 years.
✅ Climatic Characteristics of Kashmir:
◦ The valley has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons.
◦ Summer (June–August) is the warmest, with urban highs touching 36°C.
✅ Recent Climatic Changes:
◦ Long dry spells, erratic weather, and consistent warming have become frequent.
◦ In June, temperatures were ~3°C above normal, with declining rainfall.
✅ Urban Heat Islands (UHIs):
◦ Urbanisation, concretisation, loss of vegetation, and vanishing water bodies trap heat in cities like Srinagar.
◦ Urban areas are now warmer than rural surroundings — classic UHI pattern.
✅ Reasons Behind the Warming:
◦ Climate change + local factors like melting snow by March, less snowfall, vehicle emissions, and construction.
◦ Green cover decline reduces natural cooling.
✅ Worrying Trends:
◦ Max temperatures in June now stay between 32°C to 33°C, far above historical averages.
◦ Not isolated — min & max temperatures remain consistently elevated.
◦ Kashmir now shows signs of heatwave-like conditions, rare in past decades.
✅ Environmental/Ecological Impacts:
◦ Drying rivers (e.g. Jhelum) and increased water stress seen.
◦ Air conditioner demand surges — power and energy systems under pressure.
◦ Long-term threats to agriculture, water security, and ecology.
📘 Source: The Indian Express | July 2025
#GS1 #ClimateChange #GS3 #Kashmir #environment #geography
📍 Seven-decade high in Srinagar amid erratic climate shifts
✅ Record-Breaking Heat in Kashmir:
◦ Srinagar recorded a seven-decade high temperature on July 5, 2025, reaching 37.4°C — third-highest for July on record.
◦ Pahalgam hit 31.6°C, its highest ever; June 2025 was the hottest in Kashmir in nearly 50 years.
✅ Climatic Characteristics of Kashmir:
◦ The valley has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons.
◦ Summer (June–August) is the warmest, with urban highs touching 36°C.
✅ Recent Climatic Changes:
◦ Long dry spells, erratic weather, and consistent warming have become frequent.
◦ In June, temperatures were ~3°C above normal, with declining rainfall.
✅ Urban Heat Islands (UHIs):
◦ Urbanisation, concretisation, loss of vegetation, and vanishing water bodies trap heat in cities like Srinagar.
◦ Urban areas are now warmer than rural surroundings — classic UHI pattern.
✅ Reasons Behind the Warming:
◦ Climate change + local factors like melting snow by March, less snowfall, vehicle emissions, and construction.
◦ Green cover decline reduces natural cooling.
✅ Worrying Trends:
◦ Max temperatures in June now stay between 32°C to 33°C, far above historical averages.
◦ Not isolated — min & max temperatures remain consistently elevated.
◦ Kashmir now shows signs of heatwave-like conditions, rare in past decades.
✅ Environmental/Ecological Impacts:
◦ Drying rivers (e.g. Jhelum) and increased water stress seen.
◦ Air conditioner demand surges — power and energy systems under pressure.
◦ Long-term threats to agriculture, water security, and ecology.
📘 Source: The Indian Express | July 2025
📝 Mains Q (GS1 + GS3 – Geography + Environment)
“Rising temperatures in ecologically sensitive regions like Kashmir reflect both global and local anthropogenic pressures.” Discuss the causes, impacts, and mitigation strategies with reference to recent heatwave-like conditions in the Valley.
#GS1 #ClimateChange #GS3 #Kashmir #environment #geography
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