Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, Jan 21: After over a week’s respite, cold wave conditions returned to the Kashmir valley and Ladakh division as the mercury went down many notches below the freezing point in the region.
Leh in Ladakh division was the coldest place in the State with the minimum temperature of minus 20 degree Celsius while as the maximum temperature was minus 1.8 degree Celsius. Kargil also in Ladakh division was the second coldest place in the State with the minimum temperature of minus 13.2 degree Celsius while as the maximum temperature was 1.0 degree Celsius.
World famous health resort of Pahalgam in Kashmir valley was the coldest place in the Kashmir valley with the minimum temperature of minus 13.2 degree Celsius while as the maximum temperature was 2.2 degree Celsius. Famous ski resort of Gulmarg in North Kashmir also witnessed tremendous sub-zero temperatures with the minimum temperature being minus 11.8 degree Celsius and the maximum temperature of minus 2.0 degree Celsius.
Srinagar, the summer capital of the State witnessed the day temperature of 6.4 degree Celsius while as the night temperature was recorded as minus 3.0 degree Celsius. Jammu, the winter capital of the State recorded the day temperature of 18.9 degree Celsius while as the night temperature was recorded as 4.6 degree Celsius.
The day temperature in Kupwara, one of the three districts of North Kashmir was more than that recorded at Srinagar with the maximum temperature being 7.4 degree Celsius. However, the night temperature was less than that of the summer capital with the mercury settling at minus 4.3 degree Celsius.
The highway town of Qazigund in South Kashmir recorded the minimum temperature of minus 6.4 Degree Celsius while as night temperature in Kokernag yet another town in South Kashmir was minus 6.7 degree Celsius.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological department has forecast that weather will be mainly dry over the State in the 24 hours. An official of the department said that very light rain/snow is expected to hit some of the areas of the State on January 24.
It would be in place to mention here that Disaster Management Cell in the office of Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Dr. Asgar Samoon had predicted that rains/snow would hit the State on January 23 and 24. The cell had forecast that possibility of light rain/snow was more in higher reaches.
In the meantime, 106 civilians of Kargil who were stranded here were airlifted today in the Kargil Courier. An official spokesman said that 39 passengers were airlifted from Srinagar to Kargil in one sortie; while as 67 passengers were airlifted from Kargil to Srinagar in two sorties of AN-32 and Air Force Planes.
“Subject to weather, two sorties of AN-32 Kargil Courier have been planned between Kargil and Jammu on Tuesday, January 22. Stranded passengers of Gurez, who have already purchased their air tickets, have been asked to contact Additional Deputy Commissioner, Bandipora and SDM Gurez, so that they can be airlifted between Bandipora and Dawar on January 22 in MI-17 Air Force helicopters,” said the official spokesman.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police, Traffic, Munir Khan in a communiqué has said that subject to fair weather conditions and good condition of road traffic on Jammu-Srinagar national highway would ply from Jammu to Srinagar on Tuesday, January 22.
The IGP said that all kinds of vehicles including private LMV’s, commercial LMV’s, LCV’s, Medium passenger as well as commercial vehicles, buses, heavy commercial vehicles would be allowed to travel from Jammu side towards Kashmir in a regulated manner.
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