Heatwave in Kashmir: At 35.2°C, Srinagar witnesses hottest June day in 20 years

The heatwave gripping Kashmir is on a record-breaking spree, as several parts of the Valley, including Srinagar, on Thursday witnessed the hottest June day in 20 years, officials said.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 35.2°C — the hottest in June in 20 years, and seven notches above the seasonal average.

The hottest June temperature in Srinagar was recorded on June 25, 2005, when the mercury soared to 36.5°C.

Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir in Kulgam district, recorded the hottest day in 37 years, as the mercury rose to 34.7°C, IMD data showed. On June 26, 1988, Qazigund recorded a high of 35.7°C.

Kokernag in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district recorded the second-hottest June day at 33.8°C, after recording a high of 34.9°C on June 25, 2005, according to IMD data.

Gulmarg in Baramulla district was the coolest in the Valley on Thursday, with the maximum temperature settling at 25.9°C, 3.5 notches above the season’s average.

Pahalgam, which serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra, was the only other place in the Valley to record a maximum temperature below the 30-degree mark at 29.6°C, 5.5 degrees higher than the season’s average, IMD data showed.