Zafar Aafaq
KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Kashmir valley is unlikely to receive snowfall this week in wake of “calmer atmosphere and scant low pressure” build up.
Director MeT, Sonam Lotus told Kashmir Life that weather is expected to remain dry this week. “There might be occasional bouts of rainfall on the upper reaches but in plains it is expected to remain drier,” he said.
Lotus said that it was unlikely that it would snow any substantially this month. “Even during January last year, snowfall was scant,” he said, “I believe this January is again going to be snowless.”
Lotus, however, sounded hopeful that it might snow “generously” in February.
The persistent dry weather has triggered an epidemic of common winter ailments like cold and cough rendering people including elderly and children, bed-ridden.
The reason behind increase in number of patients with such ailments is that dry weather gives thriving conditions for influenza causing agents.
“In monotonous dry weather such viruses easily complete their life cycle and become more virulent,” said Dr Adil a physician at SMHS Hospital. “Children and elderly are susceptible to such infections in this weather.”
(Zafar Aafaq is a Intern with Kashmir Life.)
