Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 21: Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day period of harshest winter in Kashmir, today began at harsh note with mercury dipping to season’s lowest at most of the places with Srinagar recording minus 5.6 degree Celsius.
The mercury in Srinagar plunged by over five degrees from the previous night’s minimum of minus 0.3 degree Celsius to settle at a low of minus 5.6 degree Celsius.
This was the lowest night temperature of the season so far in Srinagar. The plummeting of the night temperature resulted in freezing of water bodies and water tapes. Fringes of famous Dal lake were also frozen due to the sudden drop in the minimum temperature.
However, the Sun came out in the morning and the day temperature settled at 9 degree Celsius giving some relief to the people during the day but as Sun came down in the evening, the temperatures again dropped.
The minimum temperature at Pahalgam in South Kashmir settled at a low of minus 7.2 degrees Celsius compared to the previous night’s minus 2.1 degree Celsius. The day temperature of the tourist resort settled at 6. 9 degree Celsius.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 11 degree Celsius over three degrees down from the previous night’s low of minus 7.8 degree Celsius. It was season’s coldest night for Gulmarg where day temperature settled at 0.5 degree Celsius.
The minimum temperature in Kupwara in North Kashmir slipped by over three degrees from the previous night’s low of minus 1.3 degree Celsius to settle at minus 4.5 degree Celsius. The day temperature of the border town settled at 10. 2 degree Celsius.
Kokernag town in South Kashmir registered the minimum temperature of minus 2.4 degree Celsius, over a degree down from the previous night’s minus 1.6 degree Celsius. The day temperature settled at 7.4 degree Celsius.
Qazigund was the only place in the Valley where the night temperature increased as the minimum there settled at minus 2.4 degree Celsius compared to the previous night’s low of minus 2.8 degree Celsius. The day temperature settled at 9.3 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature in Leh dropped nearly five degrees from the previous night’s minus 10.6 degree Celsius to settle at a low of minus 15.1 degree Celsius. This was the lowest night temperature of the season in the town which was also the coldest recorded place in the State. The day temperature settled at 1. 4 degree Celsius.
The temperature in Kargil town also decreased by over five degrees as the mercury there recorded a low temperature of minus 14. 2 degree Celsius against the previous night’s minus 9.0 degree Celsius. The day temperature settled at 2.4 degree Celsius.
The MeT department forecast dry weather for the rest of the week.
Chillai-Kalan, that started today is the harshest period of winter. The temperature drop during this time of the winter and water bodies and tapes get frozen across Kashmir. There are chances of more snowfall during this period.
It starts on December 21 and ends on January 31 next year. The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long Chillai-Khurd (small cold) and a 10-day long Chillai-Bachha (baby cold). Chillai-Khurd starts on Feberuary 1 and ends on February 20 and Chillai-Bachha ends by ending February.
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