SRINAGAR: The night temperature in Kashmir and Ladakh regions continued its downward spiral as the mercury dipped at many places, with Srinagar experiencing the coldest night of the season so far.
The mercury in Srinagar – the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir – settled at a low of minus 6.8 degrees Celsius, down from the previous night’s minus 6.3 degrees Celsius, an official of the Meteorological Department here said.
He said the night temperature in the city was the season’s lowest as the previous low it had recorded was minus 6.5 degrees Celsius on December 21.
The night temperature was five degrees below normal for this part of the season, the official said, adding it was the coldest January night in the city in the last five years.
In 2012, Srinagar had recorded a low of minus 7.8 degrees Celsius.
The cold conditions in the city and elsewhere last night led to freezing of water supply lines and various water bodies, including the fringes of the famous Dal Lake here.
The official said Gulmarg – the famous ski-resort in north Kashmir – also recorded the season’s lowest night temperature as the mercury there settled at a low of minus 14.4 degrees Celsius, down from minus 13.6 degrees Celsius on the previous night.
He said the resort was the coldest place in the Valley and it was the lowest night temperature there in the month of January since 2012.
In 2012, Gulmarg recorded the lowest night temperature on January 13 when the mercury settled at minus 16.5 degrees Celsius.
He said the mercury in Pahalgam hill resort in south Kashmir went slightly up from the previous night’s minus 12.4 degrees Celsius and settled at the low of minus 12.0 degrees Celsius.
The official said the minimum temperature at the resort was still a three-year low in January.
Kokernag in south Kashmir registered a low of minus 8.3 degrees Celsius, the official said, adding the Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 7.8 degrees Celsius, a degree down from the previous night’s minus 6.8 degrees Celsius.
He said it was the lowest night temperature of the season recorded in Kupwara and the town experienced the coldest January night in the last six years.
The mercury in Qazigund town in south Kashmir settled at a
low of minus 8.8 degrees Celsius, nearly two degrees down from the yesterday’s minus 7.0 degrees Celsius, the official said.
He said it was the coldest night of the season in the town ,referred to as the gateway to the Kashmir Valley, and it was the lowest night temperature there in the month of January in the last three years.
Leh town in Ladakh region was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir as the mercury there settled at a low of minus 17.0 degrees Celsius, down three degrees from yesterday’s minus 14.0 degrees Celsius.
The nearby Kargil town registered a low of minus 15.6 degrees Celsius which is the season’s lowest there, the official said.
Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chillai-Kalan’, considered the harshest period of winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably.
‘Chillai-Kalan’, which began on December 21 last year, ends on January 31 but the cold wave conditions continues even after that.
The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold).
The region witnessed heavy snowfall of the season on January 6.
The Meteorological Department has forecast another spell of wet weather from today.
“There is possibility of isolated rainfall or snowfall today, after which we expect scattered to fairly-widespread rains or snow over the next four days,” the official added. (AGENCIES)
Follow our WhatsApp channel