Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 19: Srinagar experienced the coldest night of the season so far as Kashmir reeled under intense cold weather conditions with weatherman forecasting further drop in temperatures across the region.
The minimum temperature plummeting several degrees below the freezing point across the region, recording the coldest night of the season at most of the places including the main city Srinagar.
A thin layer of fog was also witnessed in many parts of Srinagar city which recorded a minimum temperature of minus 6 degrees Celsius, down from minus 4.5 degrees Celsius the previous night.
It was the coldest of the season so far in the city, and the night temperature was 4 degrees below the normal for this part of the season.
The intense cold conditions led to the freezing of the fringes and parts of several water bodies, including the famous Dal lake here. The boatmen had to break the ice to row their Shikaras.
Mohammad Latif who had to cut ice to row the boat said that temperatures in Dal lake area would be minus 7-8 Degree Celsius. “I had to cut the ice to row the boat. Majority of the boatmen stayed home as it was difficult to ice and row the boats,” he said.
However, a group of tourists who had come from Bangalore were enjoying the mesmerising view of the frozen lake. “It is something unimaginable for us. Despite the cold, we are enjoying ourselves,” said Shabir Ahmad.
While water supply lines in many areas of the city here and elsewhere in the valley were also frozen due to the biting cold. The long dry spell in the city and other areas in the plains has resulted in the increase in ailments like cough and common cold.
Tourist resort Pahalgam in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 6.8 degrees Celsius, a degree down from the previous night.
The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 5 degrees Celsius.
Konibal, Pampore, was the coldest weather station in the Valley as the minimum settled at the low of minus 8.4 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature in Qazigund was minus 7 degrees Celsius, Kupwara in north Kashmir minus 6.2 degrees, and Kokernag in South Kashmir minus 5.3 degrees.
Senior Meteorologist at Srinagar Weather Centre, Mohammad Hussain Mir, told Excelsior that the cold wave will persist across the region till tomorrow. “From December 21 to 23 there will be feeble western disturbance over the region that may bring very light snow over higher reaches of Kashmir,” he said. The weather in Valley and lower hills will remain dry during this period with overcast conditions.
He said light snow over a few higher reaches is also possible from December 27 night to the morning of December 28.
“However, the minimum temperature is forecast to fall further in the valley and there will be a cold wave at isolated to scattered places during the next few days,” he said.
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