Cold wave continues in Kashmir, Srinagar records minus 3.5° C

Srinagar, Dec 13: Intense cold conditions continued in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Monday as Srinagar recorded a low of minus 3.5 degrees Celsius.
A meteorological department official said that the minimum temperature in Srinagar, the summer capital of J&K, was 2.5 degrees Celsius below the normal for this time of the year. Today’s minimum temperature, he said, was below minus 0.5°C that of yesterday and was second coldest night reported in the capital after December 11 when the mercury fell to minus 3.6°C, the lowest temperature recorded so far this season.
Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, had a low of minus 2.8°C against minus 3.0°C on the previous night, he said.
Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 5.3°C against minus 5.4°C on previous night.
Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 3.5°C against minus 2.3°C on previous night, the official said.
Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 4.2°C against minus 3.8°C on the previous night, the official said.
Gulmarg, the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, witnessed a minimum of minus 5.0°C against minus 4.2°C on the previous night, the official said.
Jammu, the J&K’s winter capital, saw a low of 8.5°C which is 0.7 degrees Celsius below normal, they said.
Ladakh’s Leh recorded a low of minus 10.9°C against last night’s minus 12.3°C while Kargil station had minimum of minus 6.0°C. Drass in Kargil, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 16.2°C, the official added.
Weatherman has forecast mainly dry till December 14. “Light to moderate snow/rain in likely at scattered places of J&K on December 15,” the official said, adding, “There is no forecast for major snowfall till 20th December in both J&K and Ladakh.” He said that there would be warmer days and colder nights in J&K and Ladakh till December 14.