Cold wave intensifies in Valley, Leh coldest Srinagar: The minimum temperature at most places in Kashmir division, including Ladakh region, went down by several degrees as cold wave returned to Valley after a slight respite, due to snowfall and rain. Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded a minimum temperature of 0.6 degrees Celsius, over a degree down from the previous nights 1.8 degrees Celsius, a MeT Department spokesperson here said. The spokesman said the mercury in Leh, in the frontier region of Ladakh, settled at a minimum of minus 11.7 degrees Celsius, a decrease of over five degrees from the previous nights low of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius. Leh was the coldest recorded place in the state, he said. The nearby Kargil town registered a decrease of over six degrees in the night temperature as the minimum there settled at minus 11.4 degrees Celsius, compared to minus 5.0 degrees Celsius the previous night, the spokesman said. The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg, the star attraction for tourists, especially skiers from across the country and abroad, recorded a low of minus 7.8 degrees Celsius, a drop of over three degrees from minus 4.0 degrees Celsius the previous night. Gulmarg experienced fresh snowfall yesterday, while it recorded 1.2 mm of rainfall during the night, he said. The famous South Kashmir hill resort of Pahalgam, which also serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath yatra, recorded 0.2 mm of rains, the spokesperson said, adding the minimum temperature there decreased by nearly eight degrees from zero degrees Celsius the previous night to settle at minus 7.6 degrees Celsius. He said Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir Valley in south, received 7.6 mm of rainfall and the mercury there recorded a low of minus 2.4 degrees Celsius against 0.2 degrees yesterday. Kupwara, in North Kashmir recorded 4.9 mm of rains and registered a minimum of 0.5 degrees Celsius, a slight increase from 0.4 degrees Celsius the previous night, said the MeT spokesperson. Kokernag, in south Kashmir, recorded a minimum of minus 3.0 degrees Celsius, compared to minus 0.5 degrees Celsius yesterday, he said, adding the town received 1.8 mm of rain during the night. The MeT Department has said there would be decrease in precipitation from today and the weather would remain mainly dry for the next few days. Kashmir Valley is currently under the grip of Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day harshest winter period, which began on December 21. The chances of snowfall are maximum and most frequent during this period. However, this year the weather had remained mostly dry with occasional snowfall or rains mostly in higher reaches. Though Chillai-Kalan would end on January 31, the winter continues after that. The 40-day period would be followed by a 20-day long Chillai Khurd (small cold) and a 10-day long Chillai Bachha (baby cold).
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 11:04:58 +0000
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