Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Dec 30: While the foggy weather condition has little improved in the northern region, the winter capital city recorded seasons lowest night temperature today whereas, the train and air-traffic continued to be affected with the poor visibility at the runways and fog during morning hours.
As the cold wave continued to grip entire northern region, Jammu’s night temperature has gone down gradually. The Chatha observatory of Jammu’s outskirts near river Tawi has recorded a minimum temperature of 1.2 degree Celsius which is the lowest of this season so far. Earlier, on two occasions this week, a minimum temperature of 2.4 degree C has been recorded in Jammu.
A senior SKUAST Jammu official said that with the improvement in cloudy weather condition in Jammu, the night temperature has gone down considerably. He said that as compared to 4.3 degree Celsius temperature yesterday’s, the night temperature in Jammu’s Chatha observatory has been recorded as 1.2 degree C which is the lowest in December. It is about 7.8 degree below normal. The maximum temperature has however, shown improvement and it was around 19.2 degree C today.
Since December 19, Jammu’s day temperature continued to fall gradually. It was nearly 8 degree below normal on December 22 while on December 26 it went nearly 11 degree Celsius below normal. The night temperature has shown sharp decline. It was nearly 5.2 degree below normal on December 26 while it is around 8 degree below normal.
A Met office spokesman told the Excelsior that Jammu recorded maximum temperature of 19. 2 degree C today. Due to foggy weather conditions during morning hours, the visibility was poor and it affected the train and air traffic. As the earth is not experiencing heat waves properly, the temperature is continuously falling. Due to delayed trains, a huge rush of passengers has been witnessed at Jammu Railway Station besides Katra and Udhampur.
Though the minimum temperature across Kashmir marked a slight increase providing relief to the people from spine-chilling cold, yet no major change in the dry weather has been forecast. However, rain and snowfall at some mountainous areas of Kashmir and parts of Jammu has been predicted in next 24 hours.
Leh town of Ladakh region, was the coldest place in the State at a low of – 15.4 degree Celsius. The prediction came as a dampener to many who have planned to celebrate New Year in Gulmarg, the star attraction for tourists visiting the Valley during winter. The hill resort had experienced scant snowfall this season which had mostly remained dry and cold.
“Chillai-Kalan”, which began on December 21, is the period when the chances of snowfall are maximum and most frequent. The weather remains cold during this period as the day temperature also dips drastically, freezing most of the water bodies including the famous Dal Lake.
The minimum temperature recorded in the summer capital Srinagar was -3.8 degree Celsius against -4.1 degree Celsius the previous night, the MeT spokesman said.
Srinagar recorded the coldest night of the season on December 27 when the minimum temperature dipped to – 5.6 degree Celsius. It was -4.7 degree Celsius on Sunday.
Leh which recorded the coldest night of the season at -17.02 on Sunday, registered a dip of nearly three degrees in the night temperature which settled at -14.3 degree Celsius.
In Kargil town, the night temperature marked a dip and settled at -13.6 degree Celsius against -15.6 degrees yesterday.
Pahalgam hill resort, which serves as a base camp during the annual Amarnath yatra, recorded a low of minus 6 degree Celsius, down by one degree compared to the previous night, the Met office said.
However, the famous ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 4.2 degree Celsius against minus 3.4 degree Celsius the previous night. Kupwara town, also in north Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 5.4 degree Celsius, 0.4 degrees less than the previous night.
Katra Mata Vaishnodevi recorded a minimum temperature of 7.4 degree C and maximum 18.7 degree, Bhaderwah minimum -0.9 degree C and maximum 11.6 degree C, Batote minimum 1.2 degree C and maximum 13.7 degree, Pahalgam minimum -6.0 degree C and maximum 8.0 degree C whereas, tourist resort of Gulmarg in Kashmir recorded the night temperature of -4.2 degree C today.
Kathua in Jammu region recorded a minimum temperature of 4.4 degree Celsius while Udhampur a minimum -0.8 degree C and maximum 20.3 degree Celsius today.
The weatherman has predicted foggy and cloudy weather conditions in most of the plain areas of Jammu region in next two- three days.
A spokesman from Airport Authority of India at Jammu said that most of the flights were late today due to fog during morning hours today. The visibility was poor and most of the flights could operate from the Jammu airport only after the weather improved around 12 noon. Though all the flights operated but most of the flights were rescheduled and their departure timings were changed.
Meanwhile, a Northern Railways spokesman said that many trains were late as the foggy weather condition continued to hit train services. Pooja Express was cancelled last evening but today it left at the right time from Jammu station. Pooja Express was 11 hours late yesterday. Its schedule time is 6.15 pm but for the last three days it left Jammu station between 5 and 6 in the morning. Varanasi Express was five hours late, Utter Sampark Kranti around three hours, Malwa Express around seven hours late, Shri Shakti around two hours late, Kolkatta-Jammu around five hours late, Jhelum Express by eight hours, Swaraj by two and half hours, Bathinda -Jammu two and half hours late, Hemkund about two hours, Jammu Mail about four hours, Amarnath about six hours, Andeman Express six and half hours, Tata Moorie about three and half hours, Rajdhani Express by two and half hours while Shalimar Express by two and half hours late today.
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