Jammu, June 17 (IANS) Weather forecasting capabilities in Jammu and Kashmir have received a significant boost with an automatic weather monitoring station (AWS) in J&K’s Kishtwar district becoming operational on Wednesday, Met Department officials said.

Officials said the newly operational facility in the remote Machail region of Kishtwar is providing real-time meteorological data, a development expected to enhance weather forecasting, climate observation, and early warning mechanisms in the mountainous area.

The installation assumes particular importance given Machail’s rugged topography and its vulnerability to rapidly changing weather conditions.

Accurate and timely weather information is expected to assist authorities in monitoring atmospheric conditions and issuing advisories whenever required.

According to officials, the station will continuously record key weather parameters, including temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind speed, and other meteorological indicators, thereby strengthening the region’s forecasting network.

Officials said the weather station forms part of broader efforts to augment meteorological infrastructure in remote and strategically important regions of Jammu and Kashmir.

Although monsoon does not have any major impact on the weather in the Kashmir Valley, the Western Disturbance plays a major role in affecting the weather there.

Western Disturbance is an extra-tropical storm originating in the Mediterranean region that brings sudden winter and pre-monsoon rain to Northwest India and snow to the Himalayas.

It is driven by westerly jet streams and provides crucial moisture for rabi crops.

Storm systems develop over the Mediterranean, Caspian, and Black Seas when warm air collides with cold European air.

High-altitude westerly jet streams steer these low-pressure systems eastward. As they pass over Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, they pick up moisture from the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea.

Upon reaching the Indian subcontinent, the Himalayas block the system, forcing the moisture to rise and condense.

This creates heavy snow in higher altitudes and widespread rain in the plains.

Winter rains are vital for the successful yield of rabi crops like wheat and mustard.

Snowfall in the western Himalayas acts as a natural reservoir, sustaining the perennial flow of rivers like the Ganges and Indus during the summer.

Weather fluctuations cause drops in temperature, generate dense fog, and bring much-needed relief from summer heat waves, though excessive systems can cause hail and landslides.

–IANS

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