‘UT witnesses lowest spring rainfall in last 18 years’
Srinagar: At least six places of Jammu and Kashmir including Srinagar, the summer capital of the Union Territory recorded the hottest day of the season on Wednesday.
According to the details available with a local news gathering agency, Srinagar recorded the hottest day of the season at 32.8 degrees Celsius.
Five more places including Kupwara, Qazigund, Kokernag, Banihal and Bhaderwah also recorded the hottest day of the season. The details available said that Kupwara recorded 33.3 degree Celsius while Qazigund recorded 32.6 degrees Celsius.
It further added that Kokernag recorded the hottest day of the season at 31.7 degrees Celsius. In Banihal, the maximum temperature settled at 34.2 degree Celsius while in Bhaderwah, it settled at 34.9 degree Celsius.
Meanwhile, an independent weather forecaster, Fazian Arif Keng said that the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has recorded rain deficiency of 32 per cent in the first five months of 2022.
Against a normal rainfall of 559.2mm, J&K received only 345.4mm of rainfall between January 01 and May 31. This alone hasn’t contributed to the lower water levels of springs along with Jhelum.
Jammu and Kashmir in 2021 recorded only 894.5mm of rainfall against an average of 1258.7mm. The deficiency of 29% in a whole year is huge. This is also the lowest rainfall in the Union Territory since 2009, he said, adding that the year 2020 also recorded a deficit of 22% in which 979.1mm of rainfall was recorded against an average figure of 1258.7mm.
In between January and May – the months in which higher reaches record heavy snowfall – 34% deficiency was witnessed in 2020 and 11.5% in 2021.
Meanwhile, he predicted good rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir in the next 7 days. However, he said that it remains crucial to monitor the changes in the coming months.
“Only good rainfall in the summer and autumn seasons can help the conditions from getting worse,” he said. (KNO)
