Srinagar Sizzles: Hottest April Day in 80 Years Leaves Valley Reeling

Srinagar has just made weather history, recording a sweltering 30.4°C on Tuesday—the hottest April day the city has seen in nearly eight decades. This temperature is a staggering 10.2 degrees above the seasonal average, with meteorological officials noting that the last time the mercury soared this high in April was back in 1946, when it touched 31.1°C.

The heatwave didn’t spare the rest of the Kashmir valley either. Qazigund logged its third-highest April temperature at 29.8°C, while other towns like Pahalgam and Kupwara also reported record-breaking highs. The sudden spike has left residents and tourists alike seeking shade, as the city’s famed spring chill gave way to an unseasonal blaze.

Weather experts attribute this anomaly to a persistent dry spell and warn that the heat is likely to linger until April 17. Relief may be on the horizon, though, with forecasts predicting rain and even snow in higher reaches from April 18 onward. Authorities are urging travelers and farmers to stay alert for possible landslides and to plan accordingly as the valley braces for more weather drama.

Sources: NDTV, Economic Times, Kashmir Observer