Fayaz Bukhari/ Gopal Sharma
SRINAGAR/JAMMU, Dec 27: The cold wave conditions across the State intensified today with day temperatures plummeting further in Jammu and Srinagar while dense fog badly affected train and air-traffic in Jammu region besides leading to suspension of chopper service to Mata Vaishnodevi shrine from Katra base camp.
The Weatherman has forecast no respite for Kashmir division from cold wave conditions but has good news for Jammuites as there may be little relief from cold weather by Sunday.
In view of dense fog today, several trains arrived two to eight hours late in Jammu and their departure was also affected while several flights were cancelled. The inter-state buses plying between Jammu-Chandigarh, Jammu- Delhi, Amritsar and Ludhiana are also arriving late by 3-4 hours. Due to poor visibility on highway in plain areas of Jammu, the smooth movement of vehicular traffic has been badly hit. Even during the entire day, the vehicles had to use fog lights.
No flight could land at Jammu airport before 11.15 am today while first flight normally arrive here from Union capital at around 9 am. The Chandigarh-Jammu-Chandigarh flight and the Jetlight flight to Srinagar was cancelled due to foggy conditions while all the outgoing flights from Jammu were rescheduled. The passengers had to suffer in view of poor weather conditions.
The chopper service at Katra-Mata Vaishnodevi was also suspended for over six hours due to bad weather today. Huge rush of pilgrims was witnessed at the waiting hall of the Katra Helipad. Instead for normal 8-9 hour operation daily, Chopper could operate hardly for 2 and half hours today between 10 am and 12.30 pm.
Himgiri train arrived 6 hours late, Pooja Express about eight hours, Jhelum reached 2 hours late from its actual arrival time, Tata Moori nearly five and half hours late, Malwa Express nearly two and half hours and so on. Huge rush was witnessed at the Jammu Railway Station in view of the late arrival and departure of the trains.
Director, Meteorological Department, Sonam Lotus told the Excelsior that foggy condition in Jammu is due to temperature inversion in which the air temperature along the surface of the earth is lesser. He said that the foggy condition will continue in Jammu tomorrow. However, it should start showing gradual improvement after Saturday.
He disclosed that there will be moderate snowfall in the hills of Kashmir from Thursday evening and rains in the plains of Kashmir valley while in Jammu region there will be light showers at isolated places due to Western disturbance that has reached to the State. He said Ladakh division will also witness light snowfall during next two days.
Lotus said that overcast conditions in Kashmir and Ladakh divisions will continue on December 28 and 29. He said that freak weather may partially disrupt air traffic at Srinagar and Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
Lotus said that Ski resort of Gulmarg had 2 inches fresh snowfall and the hills in North Kashmir also witnessed snow while Kupwara had light showers.
The overcast conditions in Kashmir today gave some respite from the sub-zero night temperatures while day temperature dipped further in Kashmir while in Jammu both the day and night temperatures plummeted bringing the temperatures further below the normal.
A Meteorological Department official said here today that the day temperature in winter capital Jammu was recorded at 11. 6 degree celsius while yesterday it was at 13.9 degree celsius. The night in Jammu dipped from 7.9 degree celsius to 7.6 degree celsius. The day temperature in Jammu was over 8 degree celsius below normal while night temperature was around 2 degree celsius below normal.
In Srinagar, there was respite to the people from sub-zero temperatures as the night temperature rose from minus 2.9 degree celsius to 2.0 degree celsius, an improvement of about 5 degree celsius. The day temperature however dipped to 6.3 degree celsius from 10.2 degree celsius and made people to shiver.
The tourist resort of Gulmarg also showed improvement in the night temperature as it rose to minus 4.6 degree celsius from minus 7 degree celsius while in Pahalgam there was 6 degree celsius improvement as the temperature rose from minus 6.8 degree celsius to minus 0.7 degree celsius.
The Leh in Ladakh region was the coldest place in the region with minimum temperature recorded at minus 11.9 degree celsius and there was rise of 4 degree celsius in the minimum temperature. However, the day temperature dipped to minus 0.1 degree celsius from zero degree celsius.
Kargil was the second coldest place with minimum temperature recorded at minus 10.8 degree celsius as it rose around 5 degrees from minus 15.4 degree celsius while the maximum temperature of the place dipped to 0.6 degree celsius from one degree celsius.
Meanwhile, a Traffic spokesman said that Jammu- Srinagar National Highway was through and there will be up convoy ( Jammu-Srinagar) tomorrow. He said till weather improves, the one way traffic system will continue on this Highway.
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