By NAK,
Jammu: With the mercury level crossing a sizzling 40 degrees Celsius, Jammu saw the highest temperature in the last ten years for the month of April on Tuesday, while in Srinagar the temperature though moderate is also witnessing a departure of 3 degree Celsius from the normal.
“It was the hottest day of the month as the highest temperature recorded on Tuesday was 40.5 degree Celsius degree Celsius”, officials in the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said adding that in Srinagar the highest temperature recorded in the day was 26 degree Celsius, about three degree higher then the normal temperature in the month of April.
In Jammu the lowest temperature was recorded 20.5 degree Celsius, about 1.5 degree Celsius above yesterdays, sources said adding that in Srinagar the lowest temperature recorded in the day was 12.2 °C.
The maximum temperature in Jammu recorded on April 28 was 39.9 degrees Celsius with minimum temperature of 23.5 degrees Celsius. However, on Tuesday the temperature witnesses a bit increase, crossing the highest mark in the last ten years.
“This is 5 degrees Celsius more than the normal temperature recorded in previous ten years when the normal temperature recorded between April 26 to April 30 was being recorded as 35 °C”, sources told News Agency of Kashmir (NAK) adding the phenomenon is not new as the temperature in entire North India is on the higher side, this year.
Official figures revealed that the normal temperature recorded between April 26 to April 30 from 1941 to 1978 was 38.4 degree Celsius.. “However, today’s was the highest temperature recorded in the month of April in last ten years”, sources said.
They said that the highest temperature in the month of April in Jammu was 43.9 °C recorded on April 29, 1941.
“The heat will continue and temperature is likely to increase by another one degree few days. The entire northern India has been seeing a rise in temperature, therefore the heat in Jammu and Kashmir is not unusual and there is nothing to panic about,” Sonam Lotus Director of India Meteorological Department (IMD) Jammu and Kashmir told News Agency of Kashmir.
He said that the temperature in Srinagar is also 3 °C higher than the normal for the month of April but it is still moderate. “We have witnessed departure of 3 °C from the normal temperature even in Srinagar but still it is not too hot”, he said.
The extreme heat conditions forced most people in Jammu, winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir, to stay indoors or go out well protected with umbrellas and hats. Most of the shops in otherwise busy market places was seen closed for few hours in the afternoon as both customers and shopkeepers were not able to face the scorching heat.
“I closed my shop at 2 PM as there was hardly any customer seen on the road due to severe heat”, Gansham Dass, a shopkeeper on Janipur road told NAK.
“I had to go out for some work at around 11 a.m. and I took an auto. Those 15 minutes that I was on the road, it literally felt like being in an oven! Not only was it extremely hot, the hot winds made it even worse,” said Anshu Jain, working with a private company in Jammu suburbs. (NAK)