Srinagar, June 6: Even as Kashmir received frequent thundershowers during the last two months, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its “long range forecast” has said that Jammu and Kashmir was likely to receive “below normal rainfall” between June and September this year.
In a virtual presentation of the long range forecast held recently, Director General, IMD, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said there was possibility of “below normal rainfall” in J&K and Ladakh between June and September.
“In J&K, adjoining Ladakh and neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, the probability for below normal rainfall activity is predicted during the June to September period,” Mohapatra said.
The IMD DG said that the southwest monsoon seasonal rainfall between June to September over the country was likely to be normal.
He said except J&K, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, “rainfall is likely to be normal over the rest of northwest India with rainfall average likely to be between 92 to 108 per cent in this region”.
Meanwhile, after witnessing considerably low temperatures, the mercury has gradually started soaring in Kashmir as summer capital Srinagar recorded 31.9 degrees Celsius on Sunday. As per MeT data, this temperature is 4 degrees above normal and is the highest recorded temperature of the season in the summer capital so far.
Speaking with Greater Kashmir, Deputy Director, MeT, Mukhtar Ahmad said the weather was likely to remain dry for the next three to four days. Ahmad said amid the dry spell, the day temperature across Kashmir was likely to increase by two to three degrees.
“Temperatures are likely to rise by two to three degrees Celsius across Jammu and Kashmir in the next three days and there is no prediction for any major rainfall. We expect maximum temperatures to be in the range of 31 to 33 degrees Celsius,” said the Meteorological Department official.
The maximum temperature in ski-resort Gulmarg was recorded at 21.8 degrees Celsius on Sunday which is 3.2 degrees above normal. Winter capital Jammu has recorded a slight dip in temperatures from the normal. It recorded 37.4 degrees Celsius on Sunday which is 2.3 degrees Celsius below normal.