Study warns of rising extreme weather in J&K: ‘2,863 events, 552 deaths in 12 Years’
Srinagar, Aug 16 (KINS): A new study has revealed that Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a sharp rise in extreme weather events over the past decade, leading to hundreds of deaths.
As per the media reports between 2010 and 2022, the region recorded 2,863 incidents of extreme weather, resulting in 552 deaths, the study published in Mausam, the journal of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), has found.
The research highlights lightning as the most frequent hazard with 1,942 incidents, followed by 409 episodes of heavy rainfall and 168 flash floods. However, heavy snowfall emerged as the deadliest, claiming the most lives per incident.
“Although only 42 heavy snowfall events were recorded, they caused 182 deaths — the highest mortality rate compared to other weather hazards,” the study noted as per KINS.
District-wise, Kupwara, Bandipora, Baramulla, and Ganderbal reported the most deaths due to snowfall, while Kishtwar, Anantnag, Ganderbal, and Doda were worst-hit by flash floods.
The study, carried out by IMD scientists Mukhtar Ahmed, Sonam Lotus, Farooq Ahmad Bhat, Amir Hassan Kichloo, and Shivinder Singh, along with ICAR researcher Bappa Das, used data from 10 IMD stations and four decades of rainfall records. The findings showed a strong link between heavy snowfall and mortality.
IMD Srinagar Director Mukhtar Ahmed warned that climate change is likely to worsen the situation in coming years. “The moisture-holding capacity of the atmosphere in higher regions has already increased by 7-10 percent, which means more intense downpours and extreme events ahead,” he said.
He stressed the need for robust Disaster Management Plans, especially for pilgrimage routes such as the Machail Yatra in Kishtwar, which was recently devastated by a cloudburst.(KINS)
