On Saturday, the start of the monsoon was officially announced for Jammu and Kashmir by the Indian Meteorological Department.
From June 25-28, a meteorological department official has predicted overcast conditions with occasional mild to moderate thundershowers.
Heavy rain and severe showers may hit a select few locations in Jammu Division for a limited time, he said.
He noted that in a select few locations, strong surface winds might coincide with moderate to severe thunder and lightning.
Over most of J&K, he foresaw relief from the present heatwave.
The IMD warned that from the 25th to the 28th, “significant increase in water discharges in rivers, local Nallahs, flood channels due to melting glaciers/snow and rain may generate localised Flash flood, Mudslide and Landslides.”
He warned that during the aforementioned time period, there is a possibility of severe rainfall in some of the division of Jammu’s middle and upper levels.
“Surface transport may be temporarily disrupted, particularly over passes and higher reaches.”
Meanwhile, portions of J-K were drenched in rain on Saturday, providing welcome relief from the sweltering temperatures. On Saturday, the temperature in Srinagar reached 34.8 degrees Fahrenheit, which was lower than the previous record high of 35.0 degrees Fahrenheit set ten years ago in June.
Furthermore, Srinagar’s low temperature was 22.4°C, which was above usual by 6.6°C for the summer capital, compared to the previous night’s low temperature of 21.0°C.
He said that Qazigund, the entrance to Kashmir, had a temperature of 20.0 degrees Celsius, which was 5.0 degrees Celsius warmer than average.
He said that the temperature at Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, dropped to 13.3 degrees Fahrenheit (4.2 degrees Celsius) on Sunday night, up from 10.6 the night before.
He said that the temperature in Kupwara town was 19.6 degrees Celsius, up from 17.8 the night before, and 5.5 degrees Celsius more than average for the region of north Kashmir.
The temperature in Kokernag dropped to 20.0 degrees Celsius, which is 5.9 degrees Celsius more than average for the area, according to the authorities.
The temperature at Gulmarg, a popular ski destination in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, dropped to 14.4 degrees Celsius on Sunday night, down from 15.4 degrees the night before and 4.2 degrees warmer than average.
He said that the low temperature in Jammu was 28.5 degrees Celsius, which was 2.4 degrees Celsius higher than average for the winter capital of J-K.
The low temperature was 21.3 degrees Celsius in Banihal, 22.9 degrees Celsius in Batote, 25.4 degrees Celsius in Katra, and 21.8 degrees Celsius in Bhaderwah, which is 6.9 degrees Celsius more than average. The lowest temperatures in Ladakh were 12.0 degrees Celsius in Leh and 15.8 degrees Celsius in Kargil, he added.
