SRINAGAR: Intense cold and dry weather conditions continued in Kashmir Valley on Tuesday although there was a slight rise in mercury than the previous day.
Quoting a meteorological department official, GNS reported that Srinagar recorded a low of minus 4.4°C against last night’s minus 5.4°C. Today’s minimum temperature was 2.3°C below normal for the summer capital, the official said. Srinagar has so far seen the coldest temperature this season on December 25 when mercury plummeted to minus 5.8°C.
Qazigund recorded a low of minus 5.8°C against minus 5.8°C on the previous night. The temperature was 2.1°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, he said.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 7.2°C against minus 9.6°C on the previous night which was the coldest night recorded this season in the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, he said. Today’s minimum temperature was 0.6°C below normal for the place, he added.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 4.1°C against minus 4.6°C on the previous night, he said. It was 0.6°C below normal for the place, he further added.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 9.2°C against minus 10.0°C on the previous night (coldest so far this season), the official said. It was 2.2°C below normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 4.1°C against minus 5.7°C on the previous night in the north Kashmir area, he said. The official said that the temperature was 2.8°C below normal.
Jammu recorded a low of 3.6°C against 4.2°C on the previous night. It was 3.7°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of minus 1.4°C (below normal by 1.6°C), Batote 0.1°C (below normal by 1.9°C), Katra 5.0°C (1.3°C below normal) and Bhadarwah 0.2°C (0.7°C below normal).
In Ladakh, Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 14.0°C and minus 17.2°C respectively, the official said.
Regarding the forecast, the MeT official said mainly clear weather was expected till January 6. “Expect further fall in minimum temperature across J&K,” he said, adding, “On January 7, weather is expected to be cloudy and from January 8-10, weather is expected to be cloudy with possibility of snowfall and rain (in plains of Jammu) at many places of J&K (70% chance).”
Kashmir is under the grip of Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day long harsh winter period that started on December 21.
