Cold wave intensifies in Kashmir

Srinagar, Dec 27: Jammu and Kashmir continued to reel under severe cold with Srinagar recording minus 4.8°C and Jammu its coldest night so far this season on Tuesday.
A meteorological department official here said that Srinagar recorded a drop by 1.3°C than the last night’s temperature of minus 3.5°C. The temperature was 2.7°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.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 6.7°C against minus 5.7°C on the previous night. While it recorded 3.7cms of snowfall in the last 24 hours till 0830 hours, today’s minimum temperature was below normal by 1.5°C in the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, he said.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 2.9°C against minus 2.5°C on the previous night, he said. It was 0.2°C below normal for the place, he said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 5.9°C against minus 5.6°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 0.3°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the official said.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 4.8°C against minus 3.5°C on the previous night in the north Kashmir area, he said. The official said the low temperature was 2.3°C below normal.
Qazigund recorded a low of minus 3.6°C against minus 4.2°C on the previous night. The temperature was 1.3°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, he said.
Jammu recorded a low of 2.5°C against 4.5°C on the previous night. It was 4.9°C below normal and the coldest night recorded so far for J&K’s winter capital which also remained engulfed in mist this morning with visibility of 50 meters, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of minus 1.9°C (below normal by 1.4°C), Batote 2.2°C (normal), Katra 6.9°C (0.3°C above normal) and Bhadarwah minus 0.2°C (0.4°C above normal).
In Ladakh, Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 11.0°C and 10.0°C respectively, the official said.
Kashmir is under Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day long harsh winter period that started on December 21 is in its infancy, it does not mean an end to the winter. It is followed by a 20-day-long period called ‘Chillai-Khurd’ that occurs between January 30 and February 19 and a 10-day-long period ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) which is from February 20 to March 1.
“Till December 30th, generally cloudy weather is expected with intermittent light snow at isolated to scattered places on higher reaches of North, Northwestern and central Kashmir during 29 (Night) -30th,” the MeT official said. (GNS)