People feel heat in Kashmir as mercury crosses 30 deg mark

Srinagar, May 15 (UNI) People in Kashmir continued to swelter under the blazing sun for the second consecutive day today as the mercury shot up about 10 degrees above normal to record this season's highest temperature at 32.4 degrees Celsius.

IMD (Jammu and Kashmir) Director N P Bhatnagar told UNI that the maximum temperature in Srinagar was at 32.4 degrees Celsius today, which was the hottest day of this season so far.

He said the minimum stood at 16.5 degrees Celsius, which was also about 7-8 degrees above normal.

Mr Bhatnagar said the heat wave conditions prevailed in Jammu with the maximum temperature being recorded at 40.0 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature in the winter capital of the state stood at 28.3 degrees Celsius.

He said the highest ever temperature recorded in this month of the year in Kashmir was on May 24, 1968 when the maximum stood at 36.4 degrees Celsius.

Mr Bhatnagar said the highest temperature ever in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir was recorded on July 15, 1973 when the mercury rose to 39.5 degrees Celsius.

He said the lowest temperature ever in this month of the year in Kashmir was recorded on May 2, 1983 when the minimum had dipped to 5.2 degrees Celsius.

Mr Bhatnagar said the highest ever temperature in the month of June in the Kashmir valley was recorded on June 29, 1978 when the mercury had risen to 37.8 degrees Celsius.

On June 23, 1990, the maximum temperature in Srinagar stood at 36.0 degrees Celsius while it was recorded at 36.5 degrees Celsius on June 24, 2005, he added.

Pahalgam and other hill resorts in Kashmir also witnessed rising temperatures. In Pahalgam, the maximum stood at 27.4 degrees Celsius while the minimum was recorded at 9.8 degrees Celsius.

A large number of people, mostly children, were seen taking dip in the famed Dal Lake here to beat the heat.

Ice cream vendors and fruit sellers were doing a brisk business these days in view of the rising mercury.

Heavy rush of people, including tourists, was being witnessed on the banks of the Dal Lake in the evenings these days.

UNI