A large area of Jammu and Kashmir has been laid low by sudden and fierce rain and hail, blocking access to Srinagar from Jammu, upending everyday life, and damaging the apple crop in the north and south. Several people are feared dead, and districts such as Ramban are grappling with debris and property damage left behind by lightning and torrential rain. What worries people in the Union Territory the most is the growing unpredictability of weather systems influenced by climate change.

In late December, Srinagar was freezing at -8.5 degrees C, but the mercury shot up to 30.4 degrees C on April 15, a 10-degree rise above the seasonal average. These swings accompany a contrasting trend of long dry spells,........

© Free Press Journal