India: Kashmir Valley witnesses unprecedented heatwave, leaves tourists disappointed

Kashmir Valley, the paradise on Earth, is witnessing an unprecedented heatwave. Valley has broken a record of 40 years this May with temperatures rising six degrees above the normal. The tourists who are visiting the valley to get respite from the heat wave in the rest of India are disappointed with the high temperatures and scorching heat.

Tourists comingto North Indian states like Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand are highly disappointed with heat waves not sparing these higher reaches as well. Kashmir, this year is no different than the rest of India. People who were expecting to witness icy winds and escape the scorching heat of the rest of the country are shocked to witness heat waves in the Valley as well. The MeT Department has predicted that the heat wave will continue for the next two weeks.

Also Read |Cyclone Remal to bring heavy rainfall to northeast India

“I did not expect this hot weather at all. I am travelling with thermals, jackets and sweaters and when we landed here we realised that we won't be needing those clothes at all, It's actually as hot as our cities. It's a beautiful city but we are facing so much heat and that's creating a problem,” said Dr Nirav, a tourist.

Another tourist said that they had not heard Kashmir is a hot place. “The weather is hot because I don't live in India. It's quite hot for me, the heatwave but the place is pretty. I have not heard Kashmir being hot, I have always been told it's the Mini Switzerland but still the weather is quite hot and a drastic change. I was aware the weather is going to be very hot as compared to where I am coming from,” said Afneen, a tourist.

The MeT has said that there is no hope of any respite from the heat in the coming days. The weather is not only high in Srinagar city but also at tourist places on higher reaches like Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Kokernag and Verinag. And the tourists who are visiting the Kashmir Valley are saying that they do not feel like visiting a hill station. Many tourists had come with winter clothes and jackets thinking they would require these clothes.

“It's very hot here and making it very difficult for us to travel around in the city. What to do? We have made plans already and we like the gardens and people are nice but due to the hot weather, it's becoming difficult. We are not enjoying it as much as we wanted to. We did not expect it to be so hot at all,'' said Archana Rastogi, a tourist.

Some tourists were disappointed and said they had read that the weather would be better next week but their holidays would be over by then. “Srinagar is pretty hot today, they are saying the weather will change in the next two days but by then we would have left. I have come here from Delhi, the last time I was here was in 1984. It was cold in Gulmarg, but the city side is very hot and it's enjoyable,” said Yogesh, a tourist.

Also Read |Rajkot gaming zone fire case: These incidents occur, owner tells court with a laugh

The Valley has been witnessing erratic weather conditions. With heavy snowfall and severe cold wave conditions seen in the middle of April and May, the valley is now facing a heat wave.

“It's definitely a little cooler than my city but I did not expect it to be so hot. I expected it to be cooler. My woollens have only been used for my children and apart from that we have not used any,” said Gautam, a tourist.

Under the Heat Wave Action Plan, the Jammu and Kashmir government has designated departments and nodal officers to help or assist affected individuals. The administration has urged residents to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to protect their health during this period of hot weather.