Srinagar: Kashmir witnessed record-breaking temperatures on Saturday, with Srinagar, Pahalgam and several other key towns experiencing some of their hottest days recorded in several decades.
According to data compiled by Kashmir Weather, an independent weather monitoring platform, Srinagar recorded a sweltering 37.4°C, making it the third-highest temperature since 1892 and the highest in over 70 years. The only higher readings were 37.7°C on 5 July 1953 and 38.3°C on 10 July 1946.
The heat has been equally severe elsewhere: Qazigund recorded 34.6°C, its second-highest July temperature, just behind 35.6°C in July 2024. Kokernag touched 34.0°C, also its second-highest July mark, slightly below last year’s 34.1°C. Pahalgam, known for its milder climate, hit 31.6°C, breaking its all-time high of 31.5°C from just a year ago. Kupwara saw 35.9°C, the highest since 2006, when 36.9°C was recorded.
But how reliable are old recordings and could it be scentifically established that Kashmir has had such higher temperatures before?
While the figures are alarming, the question of historical accuracy of temperature records also gains relevance — especially as comparisons are being drawn with data from nearly a century ago.
Speaking to Ziraat Times, Faizan Arif, founder of Kashmir Weather, explained that while the current readings are indeed significant, minor discrepancies in historical recording methods cannot be ruled out.
“Yes, it is a fair question,” Arif said. “There could have been human errors in the past —maybe the thermometer was placed too close to a building, or not exactly at the recommended 2-meter height. We can’t verify every method used in 1946 or 1953. But we assume the best practices of the time were followed.”
Arif emphasized that these figures are observatory records, not estimates or satellite readings, and thus are considered reliable for climatological comparisons.
“There is always a theoretical chance of human error or data fabrication—whether then or now—but unless we have evidence of faulty equipment or falsified entries, we treat IMD records as accurate,” he added.
Indeed, some of the oldest observatories around the world have been maintaining reliable weather data since the 19th century, and the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has played a similar role in Kashmir.
Nonetheless, experts warn that rising frequencies of temperature extremes are no longer anomalies. The back-to-back breaking of heat records in towns like Pahalgam and Kokernag in just over a year suggests deeper climate shifts, possibly linked to changing weather patterns, urban heat effects, and global warming.
As Kashmir reels under this ongoing heatwave, health experts and authorities urge residents to avoid outdoor activities during peak hours, stay hydrated, and look out for signs of heat exhaustion, especially among the elderly and children.
With July traditionally being a moderate month in Kashmir’s weather calendar, this year’s heat levels mark a dramatic departure from historical norms — one that highlights the region’s growing vulnerability to climate extremes.