Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, Dec 4: Srinagar, the summer capital of the state recorded the coldest night of the season as the Mercury plummeted almost three degrees below the freezing point during the preceding night. The other places of the Kashmir valley also witnessed freezing temperatures with people shivering with cold during the night.
Srinagar recorded the night temperature of minus 2.9 degrees Celsius while as the day temperature was recorded as 12.7 degrees Celsius.
Leh district in Ladakh region was the coldest place in the State with the night temperature of minus 12.2 degrees Celsius. This is the lowest temperature in the entire State during this winter season so far. Kargil was the second coldest place in the State with a low of minus 7.0 degrees Celsius.
The famous ski resort of Gulmarg, witnessed a few notches improvement in the night temperature compared to the night earlier as the mercury settled at minus five degrees Celsius. The famous health resort of Pahalgam recorded the minimum temperature of minus 4.6 degrees Celsius while as at Qazigund the minimum temperature was recorded as minus 3.4 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, the MeT Department has predicted that the night temperature would be on the lower side during the coming days and people are expected to have some relief from the freezing temperatures during the night of December 7 as the sky is likely to get cloudy during that night.
At the same time following prediction that Kashmir valley may be hit by snowfall on December 7 and 8, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Dr. Asgar Hassan Samoon today ordered closure of Srinagar-Kargil-Leh road for traffic from December 6 till further orders.
It would be in place to mention here that disaster management cell has forecast that there is a possibility of rain/snow in the Kashmir valley on December 7 and 8. The snowfall is likely to be heavy in the higher reaches and mountain ranges of the Kashmir valley while as its impact would be less in the plains and other district headquarters.
The high altitude areas of Kashmir valley witnessed the first major snowfall of the season on November 28 and 29 while as the plains including Srinagar were lashed by incessant rains. The famous ski resort of Gulmarg witnessed moderate snowfall thus bringing joy and relief on the faces of tourists present at the venue on this occasion.
Pir Ki Gali and other places on the Mughal Road linking Kashmir valley with Poonch and Rajouri districts witnessed moderate to heavy snowfall during the last week. The Pir Panjal range running across the State also witnessed moderate to heavy snowfall thus giving an impression that winter has set in the Kashmir valley.
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