Srinagar, June 10 -- Kashmiris are not used to talking about heat as a public danger. Winters have long dominated public life, public policy and public discourse. That assumption is beginning to look outdated.

This summer, temperatures in the valley are once again climbing to levels that were once considered unusual. Weather forecasts point to more hot days ahead. Hospitals and clinics are reporting a rise in complaints linked to dehydration, exhaustion, dizziness and low blood pressure. Women, elderly people, children and those living with existing illnesses appear particularly vulnerable.

What was once an inconvenience is increasingly becoming a public health concern.

Climate scientists have warned for years that rising global temper...