Srinagar- The ongoing wet spell in the Kashmir Valley due to a “mega” western disturbance has brought a major relief for Jammu and Kashmir residents, bringing down the rainfall deficit from 80 per cent to 42 per cent, officials said on Friday.
According to the local weather office, the Valley witnessed above-normal precipitation between February 26 and 28.
“While the normal precipitation for the period would have been 15.5 mm, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed 78.4 mm precipitation which is 407 per cent above the normal,” a weather department official said.
“The current wet spell has brought the deficit down from 80 per cent to nearly 42 per cent,” he said.
According to the details provided by the Meteorological Centre Srinagar, “As per the cumulative precipitation during February 25-28, the highest snow depth of 113 cms has been recorded at famous ski-resort, Gulmarg followed by Sonamarg with 75 cm.”
In North Kashmir Kupwara and Bandipora districts recorded a rainfall of 79.33 mm and 81.4 mm respectively, while in South Kashmir, Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama districts recorded a rainfall of 49.6 mm, 60 mm, 26.8 mm and 31.7 mm respectively.
Srinagar recorded 30.5mm precipitation during the last 24 hours while Batote recorded the rainfall of 163.7 mm, highest in all the districts, followed by 118mm in Katra and 100 mm in Banihal.
With the deficiency reducing to 42 per cent only from January 01, 2025 to February 28, 2025, the lowest deficit at present is recorded in Kulgam with 69 per cent and followed by Shopian and Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir at 64 percent each.
The lowest deficiency has been recorded in Rajouri and Udhampur at just 3 and 4 per cent respectively till today. Samba, as per the details is the only station across Jammu and Kashmir with average normal precipitation as against the normal rainfall of 91.6 mm, the district has received 91.5 mm till today.
Moreover, for the first time in the past three months, the river Jhelum has recorded a rise in water level by almost 3-4 feet.
From -1.01 ft till February 25, the water level at Sangam station was recorded 2.31 ft at 7:01 PM while at Ram Munshi Bagh, the water was flowing at 4.75 ft. The other streams too have recorded the rise in water level including Vishow Nallah where the 1589.6 m gauge was recorded this evening while Lidder was flowing at 1954.2 m and Doodhganga at 1585.3 m.
An Independent Weather Forecaster, Faizan Arif Keng in a statement has mentioned that following heavy rainfall in Jammu region, the water levels of the Tawi River, along with other rivers and streams, have risen significantly, now just a few feet below the alert level. “Residents are advised to exercise caution and refrain from going near the rivers until conditions improve,” he said.
Pertinently, the weatherman had predicted a four-day wet spell from February 25 to February 28 while ‘yellow and orange’ alerts were also issued for the four days.
For the next three days till March 03, the weatherman here has predicted light rain and snow at isolated to scattered places
Weather experts said the wet spell has been brought by a “mega” western disturbance that Jammu and Kashmir needed badly. “Although the dry weather situation cannot be reversed, this spell has improved the situation,” said Faizan Arif, a weather expert.
He, however, said this does not change the bigger picture as the looming threat of climate change remains as urgent as ever.
“Immediate action is crucial. Strong policies addressing climate challenges and climate adaptation must be implemented without delay. This is not just important, it is the defining issue of our time.
“Investing in climate action now will pay off in the long run. The costs of disasters, compensation, and recovery will far exceed the expenses of proactive measures. By acting early, governments can ultimately save millions/billions while protecting lives and livelihoods,” he added.
Apprehensions of a drought had increased among the people in Jammu and Kashmir as the Union territory experienced its driest year in five decades in 2024 with below-normal precipitation continuing for the fifth consecutive year.
Several water bodies were lowering below the zero level mark while some springs in south Kashmir had dried up completely due to the receding water table.
In 2024, the rainfall levels plunged to 870.9 mm against the normal annual average of 1,232.3 mm. The previous year recorded 1,146.6 mm rainfall level which was seven per cent below the normal precipitation.
The deficit had led to a concern in the government with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah calling for a more proactive approach and collective efforts towards water management and conservation.
Earlier this month, Abdullah warned people that Jammu and Kashmir has been staring at a water crisis.
“It’s not a recent phenomenon. Actually, it’s been building up for a few years now. While the government will have to adopt a more proactive approach towards water management and conservation, it can’t just be a government-centric approach. All of us will have to change the way we take water for granted,” Abdullah had said on X.
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