Usual changes in climatic patterns in Jammu and Kashmir this year clearly point towards how global warming and damage to our natural resources are taking a heavy toll on the eco-fragile environment of the Himalayan region.Amid prolonged heatwave, Kashmir’s high-altitude mountain areas received the season’s first snowfall on September 5. The higher reaches along the Sonamarg-Zojila axis, including Gumri, received fresh snow. In Bandipora district, snowfall was reported from Tulail near Gurez, including Kabali Gali in the upper reaches of the valley. Upper reaches in world famous ski-resort Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district were enveloped by fresh snowfall. J&K’s summer capital Srinagar recorded its highest temperature of the season on July 18, 2026, when the maximum temperature reached 35.9 Degree Celsius. Since then temperatures have been hovering over 30 Degree Celsius. After snowfall in upper reaches, Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 26.6 Degrees Celsius, while Pahalgam recorded 23.4 C, Gulmarg 19 C, Qazigund 27.2 C, Kokernag 27 C and Kupwara 26.5 C on September 5.

This year, J&K witnessed a series of flash floods triggered by cloudbursts mostly in mountainous regions causing loss of over 30 lives and destruction of infrastructure. On July 2, 12 cloudbursts were reported in 12 hours when the southwest monsoon arrived in J&K. On July 7 we witnessed massive flash floods in Thathri town of Jammu’s Doda district. The intensity of flash floods resembled the Nepal one, as gushing waters carried boulders, rocks........

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