Kashmir sees wettest March in 32 years, records 300 mm rain

Kashmir has received 300.7 millimeter rain in March this year—the highest in about three decades, official data has revealed.

According to data available with local Meteorological department, the Valley has recorded such a heavy downpour for the first time since 1983 when it received 365.0 millimeter rain.

The data says floods didn’t occur in 1983 despite massive rains, but flash floods were reported from many places during the time. It puts the year-wise rainfall (high-to-low) recorded in Kashmir as: 1993 (226.6 mm), 2014 (220.1 mm), 2003 (173.4 mm), 1996 (144.0 mm), 1997 (114.0 mm), 2002 (105.5 mm) and 2005 (104.8mm).

In 2004, however, meager 9.6 mm rainfall was recorded in March of 2004, the data reveals. Director Met department, Sonam Lotus, said no local factor is responsible for such a huge precipitation.

“The frequency and intensity of Western Disturbances and other complex global weather changing phenomenon are responsible factors for such a huge downpour,” he told .

He said local factors only dominate Kashmir weather conditions in summers. “When there is a hot summer, evaporation from Dal Lake and other water bodies triggers precipitation,” Lotus said.

How Sonam Lotus sees it all
Kashmir presently has 15 ‘automatic weather monitoring radars’ but five of them are defunct. The data gathered from these stations is being sent to the National Weather Forecasting Center at New Delhi for analysis—apart from its analysis by local MeT office at Rambagh here.

At these stations, officials said, wind speed, wind direction, temperature and pressure are monitored at different levels. “Cloud motion, type of clouds and movement is being monitored regularly. Pictorial graphs, satellite pictures are also being monitored through these radars. The data is being analyzed at local MeT office and thereafter the forecast is issued,” they said.

While issuing the forecast, the officials said, analysis of local MeT department and that of NWFC New Delhi is compared. “The NWFC has supercomputers that give a clear analysis,” Director MeT Sonam Lotus said.

‘New Radar for Yatra, VIPs’
The Meteorological department is all set to install a ‘C’ Band 500-km range Doppler Radar in Srinagar to provide accurate weather forecasts in Jammu and Kashmir.
“It can give you the weather forecast for maximum four hours,” Lotus said, adding, “Its services can mostly be used during Amarnath Yatra and visit of Chief Minister or some high-profile personality to any area. With Doppler Radar we can have accurate weather situation of next four hours.”

He said the present system analyzes weather of three to four days.

“Now that new radars have been approved, it will give us weather forecast for six to seven days,” he said, adding, “We want a piece of land (for establishing the same) but we are struggling to get it for the past some time.”

YEAR-WISE RAINFALL (HIGH-TO-LOW) IN KASHMIR

1993 (226.6 mm)
………………………………………………………………
2014 (220.1 mm)
……………………………………………………………….
2003 (173.4 mm)
………………………………………………………………
1996 (144.0 mm)
………………………………………………………………
1997 (114.0 mm)
………………………………………………………………
2002 (105.5 mm)
………………………………………………………………
2005 (104.8mm)
………………………………………………………………
2004: 9.6 mm