Srinagar, October 5: Kashmir witnessed an unusual spell of warmth in the first week of October, with several weather stations recording their highest or near-highest temperatures for the month on Sunday.
Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 31.2°C, making it the second-highest October temperature recorded in the city. The reading surpassed the previous October high of 31.1°C registered on October 2, 2008. The all-time October record for Srinagar remains 33.9°C, recorded on October 2, 1931.
The sharp rise was even more pronounced in south Kashmir, where Qazigund recorded 31.4°C, breaking its previous October record of 31.2°C set on October 1, 1985. The temperature was 7.3°C above normal.
More Read
Independent weather forecaster Faizan Arif described the readings at several stations as exceptional for the season.
“The temperatures are exceptionally high for this time of the year, with Qazigund and Kokernag breaking their respective October records. Such values are unusual and indicate an intense spell of heat across Kashmir,” Arif said.
Kokernag also set a new October record, recording a maximum of 29.4°C, compared with the previous high of 29.2°C registered on October 4, 2008. The temperature was 5.8°C above normal.
The warmth extended to the higher reaches as well. Gulmarg recorded 23.2°C, exceeding the previous October high of 23°C recorded just a day earlier. Its October record stands at 23.4°C, set on October 1, 2009.
With temperatures 6.7°C above normal, Sunday became the second-hottest October day recorded at Gulmarg.
Arif said the persistence of unusually high temperatures across both valley stations and higher-altitude locations made the spell particularly noteworthy.
The warm conditions come at a time when temperatures in Kashmir would normally be expected to decline steadily as autumn advances, making the widespread rise in mercury unusual for the beginning of October.
