In the Kashmir region, at the foot of the mountains, snow is sorely lacking. Precipitation is down 80% compared to normal for the season, leaving residents fearing a summer without water.
The region has seen little rain this year and temperatures have averaged six degrees Celsius warmer than normal since last fall. In early January, the UN World Meteorological Organization announced that 2023 had been "by far" the hottest year on record. The annual average global temperature in 2023 was 1.45 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900)