Shillong, September 25: Overnight rain brought relief to Kashmir on Monday, bringing an end to the nearly two-month-long unprecedented dry spell. The region also witnessed the season’s first snowfall in the renowned ski resort of Gulmarg.
As per IANS, Kashmir had experienced a meager 20 mm of rainfall in September until Saturday, falling short of the average September rainfall of 75 mm, with only 55 mm recorded.
This year, the Valley had seen unusually high summer temperatures, leading to a heatwave that residents were not accustomed to. On September 12, the summer capital, Srinagar, recorded a temperature of 34.2 degrees Celsius, just slightly below the all-time highest recorded temperature of 35 degrees Celsius in 1934.
The prolonged dry spell had raised concerns among apple growers, as the lack of necessary moisture was affecting the quality of the crop in various parts of the Valley.
Gulmarg experienced a minimum temperature of 4 degrees Celsius on Monday due to the fresh snowfall in the meadow. Meanwhile, the hill station of Pahalgam recorded a low of 7.8 degrees Celsius, and Srinagar had a minimum temperature of 10.8 degrees Celsius during the night.