Srinagar, Oct 04: Kashmir witnessed an extraordinary spell of October warmth on Sunday, with temperatures soaring several degrees above normal and multiple weather stations breaking or approaching long-standing records for the month.
Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 31.2°C, making it the second-highest October temperature on record for the city. The reading was 5.7°C above normal and surpassed the previous October high of 31.1°C recorded on October 2, 2008. The all-time October record remains 33.9°C, recorded on October 2, 1931.
The heat was even more pronounced in Qazigund, where the mercury climbed to 31.4°C, breaking the previous October record of 31.2°C recorded on October 1, 1985. The temperature was 7.3°C above normal, making Sunday the hottest October day ever recorded at Qazigund.
Kokernag too witnessed a new October benchmark, recording 29.4°C, against the previous record of 29.2°C registered on October 4, 2008. The reading was 5.8°C above normal.
Even the higher reaches were not spared. Gulmarg recorded 23.2°C, surpassing the previous October high of 23.0°C recorded only a day earlier. The resort’s all-time October record stands at 23.4°C, recorded on October 1, 2009, putting Sunday’s temperature among the highest ever recorded there for the month.
Independent weatherman Faizan Arif said the readings were particularly striking because the unusual warmth was being recorded simultaneously across several stations and elevations.
“This is not just a warm day at one location. When several stations across Kashmir record temperatures substantially above their October normals, it becomes important to look at the larger atmospheric and climatic pattern,” Arif said.
Climate expert Dr Touseef Ahmad Bhat said the unusual October warmth should be viewed in the context of the broader changes being witnessed in Kashmir’s climate.
“October is traditionally a transition month when temperatures begin to decline noticeably. Such persistent and exceptional warmth indicates that the seasonal transition is becoming increasingly irregular,” Bhat said, adding that individual weather events should not alone be treated as proof of climate change, but repeated deviations from historical patterns warrant close scientific attention.
Former MeT Director and weather expert Sonam Lotus said temperature records have to be assessed alongside larger atmospheric conditions, including the behaviour of western disturbances, cloud cover, winds and precipitation patterns.
The exceptional warmth comes after Kashmir experienced significant weather fluctuations this year, including a prolonged precipitation deficit followed by episodes of intense rainfall.
The India Meteorological Department’s Srinagar centre had already recorded 30.8°C in Srinagar on October 3, 4.1°C above normal, while Qazigund touched 30°C and Gulmarg 23°C.
The latest spell therefore represents not merely a warm October afternoon but another striking departure from the Valley’s usual seasonal pattern.
For Kashmir, where October traditionally marks the transition from relatively mild autumn weather towards colder conditions, the record-breaking temperatures are likely to renew questions over the changing character of the Valley’s seasons—and what prolonged warmth could mean for agriculture, water resources, ecosystems and the onset of winter.
With several stations now registering their highest or near-highest October temperatures, Sunday’s heat has added another unusual chapter to Kashmir’s increasingly volatile weather calendar.
