Kashmir witnessed a rain deficit of over 80% in August, with summer capital Srinagar recording the lowest precipitation in 25 years in the month.
The MeT department said Srinagar recorded a mere 9.2mm of rain, a deficit of 86%.
In August, 1998, Srinagar received 8.8 mm and the all-time low was recorded in 1987 with 2.7 mm precipitation.
MeT deputy director Mukhtar Ahmad said, “For 40, days we seen a dry spell because of El-Nino being active.” The MeT department recorded rain deficit in Gulmarg, Kupwara, Kokernag and Pahalgam. There was a rain deficit of 83% in the ski resort of Gulmarg and 80% in the northern district of Kupwara.
Kokernag and the tourist resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir recorded 77% and 73% less rain. Pahalgam recorded 35.9 mm rain in August, the second-lowest since 1987. The area received 31.3mm rain in 1987.
Ahmad said that the dry conditions are expected to continue with at least the first half of September remaining dry.
“It is difficult now that the monsoon will revive as the El-Nino is still active,” Ahmad added. During the El-Nino weather phenomenon, the temperatures increase globally as warm surface waters from the west move east in the Pacific. Normally, the winds move from cooler east to warmer west.
“The monsoon has not revived in most of the country except in a few coastal areas like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. All major inland areas including central and north India are dry,” he said.
Independent weather spotter of Kashmir, Faizan Arif said that Jammu and Kashmir recorded 29% rain deficiency with majority of the rainfall concentrated in Jammu division.
“As against the normal 184.9 mm rainfall, the UT received only 131.1 mm,” he wrote in an article.
MeT director Sonam Lotus said in a weather update partly cloudy weather with light rain at some places is expected in Monday.
“The outlook for the subsequent week is clear and dry, except for September 3 and 4. Farmers are advised to harvest their crops as dry weather is expected for the next 2 weeks,” he said.