 Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Dec 5: A severe cold wave has tightened its grip over the Kashmir Valley, with Srinagar recording its coldest night of the season at minus 2.1°C on Thursday, officials said. An independent weather observer said that Zojila along the Srinagar-Leh highway was the coldest spot of the night, with temperatures plummeting to a bone-chilling minus 18.0°C.
The Meteorological Department office said that the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir matched the season’s previous low of minus 2.1°C, first recorded on November 28. This temperature is 0.9°C below the seasonal average of minus 1.2°C.
The cold was even more biting in popular tourist destinations of Pahalgam, Gulmarg, and Konibal, experiencing sharp plunges in temperature, recording lows of minus 5.3°C, minus 3.6°C, and minus 4.5°C, respectively.
Pahalgam, located in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, was not only colder than the previous night’s minus 4.8°C but also 2.0°C below the seasonal average for the popular hill station during this period.
The minimum temperature dropped by a notch at Gulmarg and was recorded at minus 3.6°C Thursday against the minus 3.5°C recorded the previous night. This was 0.5°C below normal for the famous ski resort of North Kashmir, Baramulla district, during this period.
Qazigund also witnessed a fall in night temperature and recorded minus 2.7°C today against the minus 2.2°C recorded the previous night, and this was 1.5°C below normal for the gateway to Kashmir on Thursday.
The frontier Kashmir district of north Kashmir, Kupwara, plunged to minus 2.5°C against the minus 1.2°C recorded a day ago, and it was 0.8°C below normal for the border town during this period of the season.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 1.4°C against the previous night’s 0.4°C, and this was 0.8°C below normal for South Kashmir’s picnic spot.
Barring Gulmarg, the maximum temperature was 1-2°C above normal in all weather stations of the Kashmir Valley recorded on Wednesday with bright sun appearing during the day.
The Met Office said the weather is likely to remain dry till December 7.
“A weak Western Disturbance (WD) may affect Jammu and Kashmir between December 8 and December 9 and can cause light rain and snowfall over the isolated higher reaches,” it added.
“Overall nothing significant till December 14,” the MeT office said. |
