Scorching Kashmir: Record heat signals a climate crisis

Kashmir has been reeling under an unprecedented rise in temperatures over the past few weeks, with both maximum and minimum levels touching record highs. The soaring heat forced authorities to announce an early summer break in schools and triggered a growing water crisis across both urban and rural parts of the Valley.

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Last week, Srinagar recorded its highest-ever July temperature in over seven decades at 37.4°C. Earlier, the city registered 35.7°C—its highest July temperature in the last 25 years. Even the minimum temperatures have been unusually high, compounding public discomfort.

Director of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Srinagar, Mukhtar Ahmad, told The Tribune that the Valley has experienced three distinct heat wave spells in recent weeks. “Srinagar also recorded its highest-ever minimum temperature for July at 25.2°C—a record not seen in the last 70 years,” he said.

According to the IMD, Kashmir has been witnessing more extreme weather events such as prolonged dry spells and intense rainfall—a pattern increasingly observed worldwide. Winter weather too has been erratic, with a noticeable reduction in western disturbances affecting the region.

Urbanisation & environmental decline

So, what is driving the rising temperatures in a region once famed for its cool and pleasant climate?

Experts attribute the shift to a combination of global climate change and localised environmental disruptions. Dr Mohammad Muslim from Kashmir University’s School of Earth & Environmental Sciences said the region, particularly Srinagar, has undergone “significant transformations in land use and land cover.”

“These changes have notably influenced surface emissivity, altering local climatic conditions,” Dr Muslim said. He pointed to the expansion of built-up areas, which has increased surface heat absorption and re-emission, intensifying the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect.

“Materials like concrete and asphalt trap heat far more than natural landscapes. This results in higher temperatures, especially in urban areas,” he explained. “The reduction in green spaces has further weakened the city’s ability to regulate temperature through natural processes like shading and evapotranspiration.”

The UHI effect, Dr Muslim added, is now strongly evident in densely built-up areas like downtown Srinagar. “These areas retain heat during the day and release it slowly at night, leading to persistently high night-time temperatures and limited cooling,” he said.

He also noted the increasing occurrence of “tropical nights” in the Valley—where minimum night temperatures remain above 20°C. “Such nights were once rare in Kashmir. Their rise signals a shift towards a warmer climate,” he said.

Development at a cost

Shaikh Ghulam Rasool, a Valley-based conservationist, believes the rapid warming of Kashmir is a result of a “quiet crisis” unfolding due to unchecked development, environmental neglect, and conflict-induced ecological disruption.

“Tourism-led development has triggered reckless construction, waste dumping and a growing carbon footprint—even in ecologically sensitive areas that were once untouched,” he said.

Forests and mountains, Rasool noted, are being cleared or carved out, destroying the natural shields that historically kept the region cool. He also pointed to a major shift in agriculture patterns.

“Traditional paddy fields that cooled the land and helped recharge groundwater are now being replaced by apple orchards, which don’t offer the same climate regulation,” he said. “These subtle changes are silently altering Kashmir’s thermal balance.”

The way forward

As temperatures rise and climatic conditions shift, calls for corrective action are growing louder. Experts stress the urgent need for robust data collection and analysis to understand changes in green cover, surface temperatures and other climatic variables.

“Only through reliable data can we create sustainable urban planning and develop meaningful adaptation strategies to mitigate the adverse impacts of urbanisation and climate change,” Dr Muslim said.

Kashmir’s transformation from a cool retreat to a warming hotspot is no longer just a seasonal anomaly—it’s a pressing environmental challenge demanding urgent attention.