Heat in the Hills

Once famous for its crisp summers and snowy peaks, Kashmir is now setting heat records year after year. Scientists say the valley is warming faster than we think.

- Dr. Masoon A. Beig

For most people, Kashmir conjures up images of cool summers, pine-covered slopes, and snow-laced winters. But lately, something has changed.

May 2025 brought a scorching surprise. Srinagar touched 34.4°C, the highest temperature for the month in years. Even the cooler corners like Pahalgam weren't spared. It hit 27.8°C—hot enough to send tourists scrambling for shade.

The heat didn't just show up once. It stayed. Qazigund recorded 33.4°C, Kokernag 33.2°C, and all across the Valley, people stayed indoors, especially in the towns where concrete traps heat like a closed oven.

Schools are starting early to avoid the hottest hours. Hospitals are reporting a sharp rise in cases of dehydration and heatstroke, mostly among children and the elderly.

For a region used to mild weather, this kind of heat isn't just uncomfortable. It's dangerous.

But here's the bigger concern. This isn’t a one-off event.

Heatwaves have crept in over the past few years, growing stronger each time.

Back in August 2020, Srinagar reached 35.7°C, the highest for that month in nearly four decades. In July 2021, it was 35°C again. In June 2023, same story. That September, 34.2°C was recorded—nearly the hottest September day in over a century.

By May 2024, records were falling everywhere. Qazigund broke its all-time high with 34°C. Pahalgam touched 28.6°C, the second-highest in two decades.