A mudslide at Chamba Seri in the Ramban district disrupted traffic along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on the morning of May 8, according to TOI.
The Jammu and Kashmir Traffic Police has issued a travel advisory asking commuters to avoid the route until the weather improves and road clearance is completed.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Jammu and Kashmir from May 9 to 12, predicting thunderstorms and lightning.
Other states, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are also expected to witness rain and storms till May 11. Punjab and Haryana are expected to receive showers on May 10 and 11, reported TOI.
Shifting Western Disturbance Patterns
A Climate Trends analysis directly linked increase in the frequency of Western Disturbances this year to global warming. The altered weather pattern led to heavy rains, flash floods, and landslides in Himalayan states like J&K and Himachal, while also preventing prolonged heatwaves in the northwestern plains, reported The Indian Express.
“After remaining insignificant till January, Western Disturbances picked up frequency from late January onwards and have been affecting Western Himalayas at regular intervals. The influence of Western Disturbances has been growing significantly over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. They have been dumping more rainfall over the Himalayan region, which is directly related to climate change,” Dr K J Ramesh, former director general of meteorology, IMD, told Climate Trends.
Climate change Affecting Western Disturbances
Citing a 2024 study published by the journal Weather and Climate Dynamics, The Indian Express stated that experts believe the traditional behaviour of Western Disturbances are getting affected by increasing global temperatures. For instance, Western Disturbances that occur in winter have increased significantly over the western and central Himalayas and the Hindu Kush in the last 70 years.
This shift could be linked to the strengthening of the subtropical westerly jet stream, with faster and stronger winds likely driven by rising temperatures. The 2024 study, according to The Indian Express, also notes that Western Disturbances, once rare in May to July, are now more frequent—possibly due to the “delayed northward retreat of the subtropical jet, which historically has occurred before the onset of the summer monsoon.”
