Srinagar, Kashmir, recorded a maximum temperature of 15 degrees Celsius on Saturday, the highest in January in the last two decades.
The Kashmir Valley is experiencing a remarkable shift in weather patterns, with a staggering 100% decrease in snowfall recorded in January. The prolonged dry spells, combined with no snowfall in Kashmir’s plains, have caused temperatures to rise by 6 to 8 degrees Celsius above normal at many valley stations.
Mercury levels are higher in the northern parts of the country. On Sunday, Delhi experienced its coldest morning this winter season, with the minimum temperature dropping to 3.5 degrees Celsius.
The weather department responded to the unusual weather patterns by stating that abrupt temperature changes have become more common in recent years. These scenarios are also visible during the summer season.
Due to the drastic weather change, Kashmir tourism faced lots of hardship. Gulmarg, a hill resort in north Kashmir that was once blanketed in snow during this season, is left in a dry spell. The place used to witness lots of tourists and winter sports activities like snowboarding and skiing.
Mushtaq Chaya, one of the leading hoteliers from Kashmir whose properties are located in different parts of the country said,“Tourists are not coming to Kashmir these days. There have been hundreds of cancellations of hotel bookings as there has been no snowfall this year,” as reported by The Wire.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department’s Srinagar station, December saw an unprecedented 79 percent deficit of rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir, with overall precipitation expected to be seven percent lower in 2023 due to interplays of extreme weather between intense heat waves and extreme precipitation.
However, there is hope that a fresh western disturbance will hit Jammu and Kashmir in the coming days, bringing a fresh spell of snowfall, as well as the first snowfall of the season, according to weather experts.
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