Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 15: After a week long dry spell, Weatherman today forecast light to moderate rains at isolated places over the next 24 hours and heavy snow and rainfall across the Valley this week end and it was raining in parts of Kashmir and snowing in upper reaches this evening.
Director Meteorological department (MeT) Sonam Lotus said here that there is possibility of light to moderate rains/thundershowers at isolated places in the next 24 hours across the State.
The MeT office has also forecast heavy to moderate snowfall this weekend that may lead to disruption of air and surface traffic to Kashmir valley. The official said there is possibility of isolated to scattered rainfall or snow over two days from today, while there are chances of scattered rains or snow over four days from February 17. He said that the rains and snowfall would lead to dip in temperatures across the State.
And in the meantime, overcast conditions led to an increase in the minimum temperatures across Kashmir division, with the mercury settling above the freezing point at most places in the Valley.
The night temperature across Kashmir valley, except at Gulmarg and Pahalgam, settled above the freezing point last night, an official of the Meteorological Department here said.
Srinagar recorded a low of 1.7 degree Celsius, an increase of nearly three degrees from the previous night’s minus 1.1 degree Celsius.
Qazigund registered a minimum temperature of 0.8 degree Celsius, up from the previous night’s minus 1.6 degree Celsius.
The official said the mercury at Gulmarg in North Kashmir settled at minus 5.6 degrees Celsius up from yesterday’s minus 6.5 degree Celsius.
Pahalgam in South Kashmir recorded a low of minus 3.9 degree Celsius — an increase of over two degree from minus 6.4 degrees Celsiu yesterday.
The North Kashmir town of Kupwara registered a low of zero degree Celsius and Kokernag in South recorded a low of 1.6 degree Celsius..
Leh, in Ladakh region, was the coldest recorded place in the state as the mercury there settled at a low of minus 13.3 degree Celsius , an increase of three degrees from the previous nights minus 16.3 degree Celsius. Kargil town recorded a low of minus 9.8 degree Celsius.
The snowfall in the hills and rains in the plains led to drop in the day temperatures across Kashmir. Srinagar recorded 9.7 degree Celsius, Qazigund 9.2 degree Celsius, Pahlagam 6.9 degree Celsius, Gulmarg 5.6 degree Celsius, Kupwara 6.5 degree Celsius, Kokernag 8.4 degree Celsius, Leh 1.9 degree Celsius and Kargil 6.8 degree Celsius.
Follow our WhatsApp channel