| Major portion of Dal freezes as chill intensified, Ladakh shivers | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Dec 27: Major portion of the world famous Dal Lake and other water bodies besides water on roads, in taps and drains were frozen in the Kashmir valley, where next 72 hours will witness further drop in the minimum temperature.
A Met department spokesman said weather will remain dry in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh during the next 72 hours. Due to clear sky, the minimum temperature will record drop while day temperature could be near normal.
People continued to shiver in the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh, which remained cut off due to closure of the Srinagar-Leh national highway for the past more than two week. All water bodies in the region also remained frozen, badly hitting the power generation in local projects. Border town of Drass remained coldest at minus 30 degree followed by Kargil minus 27 degree and Leh minus 20.7 degree.
Spokesman said weather will remain dry and the maximum and minimum temperatures in Leh would be around Zero degree and minus 22 degree respectively during the next 24 hours.
Major portion of the Dal Lake were frozen on Friday, when summer capital, Srinagar, recorded coldest night of the season so far after the minimum temperature dropped further and settled at minus 5.6 degree, 3.5 notches below normal. The earlier coldest was minus 5 degree witnessed yesterday.
However, as the day progressed some frozen parts started melting. But, in the interior Dal, frozen surface has further become hard and Shikarawalas were finding it difficult to move forward. The Lake, one of the major tourist attraction in the city, was completely frozen in 1965 when then rulers drove a jeep on the frozen surface of the water body from one to another end. Dal was also frozen in 80s and 90s when children were seen playing cricket and ice hockey and elders, including tourists , taking photograph.
He said the sky would be mainly clear and the maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 9 degree and minus 6 degree in Srinagar during the next 24 hours.
Pahalgam, a famed health resort in south Kashmir, was coldest in the valley though the minimum temperature had witnessed about 0.7 degree surge. Against yesterdays minus 12.7 degree, it was minus 12 degree at Pahalgam, where water level in all water bodies, including river Lidder has dropped.
Interestingly, Qazigund, gateway of Kashmir on Srinagar-Jammu national highway was more colder than famed ski resort of Gulmarg, 55 km from here in north Kashmir. Qazigund recorded coldest night at minus 10.5 degree against yesterdays minus 9.8 degree. At Gulmarg the minimum temperature was minus 9.5 degree, an improvement of about two degrees against yesterday.
He said Kokernag recorded minus 7, slightly colder than yesterday while at Kupwara it was minus 6.3 degree against yesterday's minus 5.6 degree. |
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