Jammu and Kashmir received 188.4 millimeter precipitation during October and November this year making it 171 percent higher than normal.
According to MeT Department data, during the two months,summer capital Srinagar recorded 227.7 mm rain and snowfall. This is 685percent above normal precipitation. The second wettest district was Pulwamawith 618 per cent above normal precipitation recorded. Similarly, Kulgamreceived excess rainfall of 587 percent, Baramulla 544 per cent, Anantnag 504percent, Budgam 471 percent and Bandipora 341 percent above normalprecipitation recorded in November this year. Rajouri with 409 per cent andReasi with 358 percent above normal precipitation were the wettest districts inJammu division.
“Interaction of coldwinds blowing southwards from polar region with the western disturbances led tovery heavy precipitation in form of recent snowfall across Kashmir. Thescenario is likely to prolong during current winter season,” MeT officials toldGreater Kashmir.
This year Kashmir received its heaviest November snowrecorded during the past four decades.
Snowfall records of past four decades maintained by theMeteorological Department reveal that 96 millimeter equivalent snowfall wasrecorded between 6 and 7 November 2019 in Srinagar is the heaviest ever 24-hoursnowfall recorded in month of November since 1980. This has led to some of themost intense cold days across the Valley so far. “Almost every westerndisturbance that passed led to heavy rainfall or snowfall in the Valley duringNovember,” said the MeT official.
The presence of cyclone ‘Maha’ during early November in theArabian sea and the wind interaction with the western disturbances, resulted inuntimely snowfall on 7 November. However, Indian Meteorological Department(IMD) has predicted that northern parts of the country, including Jammu andKashmir will witness a ‘normal winter’ as minimum temperatures will remainwithin normal range.
The IMD in its winter forecast issued on Friday said:”Seasonal temperature outlook during December, 2019 to February, 2020.”
While Gulmarg had measured 4.5 feet of snow on 7 November,the plains as per MeT data received 1-2 feet of snow on this day. “There wereonly two days when major snowfall was witnessed, but it surpassed the monthlyaverage snowfall,” the MeT officials said.
This year the normal precipitation was surpassed within onlytwo major snowfalls. According to data, snowfall which generally should haveoccurred over a span of almost one month was surpassed in two snowfalls only.The 7 November snowfall, followed by inclement weather had caused multiplelandslides on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway resulting in frequent closureof the road, the only all-weather road, connecting the Valley to rest of theworld remained closed for traffic for 13 days in November.
In addition, the untimely snowfall caused cancellation ofmore than 65 flights from Srinagar International Airport in November month. Theheavy snowfall also wreaked havoc on the Rs 8000 crore horticulture sector withinitial government estimates suggesting Rs 2500 crore losses suffered to theapple industry due to untimely snow.