J&K, Ladakh witness deadliest August: Over 122 dead, 300 injured in weather fury

Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have witnessed one of the deadliest August months due to weather fury across the region. Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been battered by more than 25 cloudbursts and 9 landslides incidents resulting in the death of over 122 people. More than 300 people have been injured in these incidents, while over 70 people are still missing in the region.

Eleven people have died in two cloudburst incidents in Jammu and Kashmir on August 30. The first cloud burst incident took place in the Ramban area of Jammu division, killing four people. One person is missing in the area. The second cloudburst incident occurred at Reasi. The cloud burst incident led to a massive landslide, leading to the death of seven people belonging to the same family.

''This year we had already predicted above-normal precipitation in the month of August. We have seen multiple cloudbursts, landslides, flash flood incidents and more than 5-6 events of extremely extreme rainfall across the region. Until now, it has been reported that more than 10 incidents of cloudburst have been reported in Jammu and Kashmir, and more than 18 to 20 cases of flash floods and cloudbursts have been reported from the Ladakh region. From the Ladakh region, there were no casualties reported. There was damage to the agricultural horticulture properties, but in contrast to Ladakh, we’ve seen more deaths in Jammu and Kashmir; over a hundred people have died in incidents of cloudburst, flash floods, and even drowning incidents, '' said Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, Director MeT.

The most severe incidents occurred in Kishtwar (August 14), Kathua (August 17), Doda (August 26), Reasi (August 27), Sonamarg (August 28), and Rajgarh (August 30). These disasters have damaged infrastructure, disrupted pilgrimages like the Vaishno Devi and Machail Mata Yatras, and crippled local economies reliant on tourism. Rural areas have also reported significant losses of livestock and agricultural fields.

Major highways, including the Jammu-Srinagar, Katra-Shivkhori, and Srinagar-Ladakh routes, have faced disruptions, compounding the region’s challenges. The geographical location of Jammu and Kashmir-Ladakh, due to the steep slopes of the Himalayas and the interplay of monsoon-western disturbances, is prone to cloudburst events due to orographic uplift. The increased frequency of cloudbursts in Jammu and Kashmir is due to the natural topography, intense monsoon pattern and warming of the Earth, which increases atmospheric moisture and extreme weather events.

''There are multiple reasons for a cloud burst. The first one is the active monsoon and strengthening of the easterly, which is moist and warm close to the Himalayan region. And secondly, when there is an interaction of a Western disturbance with the monsoon. Recent events of the 26th and 27th of August in the Jammu division were due to Western disturbance and the monsoon. Apart from this, topography also plays an important role. In the context of climate change, the rising temperature trends are acting as a trigger for the cloudburst. Multiple factors are associated with such events, and more importantly, moisture flow towards the Himalayan range is the primary reason for the cloudbursts, '' said Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, Director MeT.

This year’s monsoon has been exceptionally severe in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, with heavy rainfall and cloudbursts shattering previous records. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts continued extreme weather, including potential cloudbursts, in the coming week.

''In the coming week, there is a forecast of heavy rain in the Jammu division. And more importantly, Jammu, Reasi, Udhampur and Chenab Valley will witness showers and intense rainfall in the coming week. There is a possibility of cloudburst and landslides in the Jammu division. People need to be very cautious. People need to be alert till September 3, '' said Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, Director MeT.

Experts urge immediate action to enhance disaster preparedness, strengthen infrastructure resilience, and implement climate adaptation measures to mitigate future risks in the region.