*Srinagar max temp 14.1 deg C, Jammu 7.4 degree C
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Jan 23: Intense cold wave and dense fog continued to cripple normal life in the northern region including most of the plain areas of Jammu region while winter capital of the State recorded season’s lowest temperature today.
The train and air-service was badly affected in the entire region with the poor visibility due to dense fog. Several morning flights could not land at Jammu airport as thick clouds of fog continued to hover over the run way. The first flight could land only at around 11.30 am.
Surprisingly, the Jammu was colder than Srinagar by about 7 degree Celsius as the city recorded maximum temperature of just 7.4 degree Celsius while it was 14.1 degree Celsius in summer capital, Srinagar. The Jammu city recorded the seasons lowest temperature of 2.2 degree Celsius (mini) while it was 5 degree C on Friday. The maximum temperature in Jammu on Friday was 10.7 degree Celsius. The normal day temperature in Jammu should be 19 degree Celsius while today it was about 12 degree Celsius below normal.
A Met spokesman said that weather will remain dry in next two days in J&K. He predicted some rain at isolated places in Kashmir region and on January 28-29 at some isolated places in the hilly areas of Jammu region. Over all the weather will be fair in most past of Kashmir and hilly areas of Jammu region. The foggy weather will continue to envelop plain area of Jammu in next two days but there will be slight improvement in the weather tomorrow, the spokesman added.
The spokesman further said that the normal day temperature in Jammu should be 19 degree Celsius while today it was nearly 12 degree below normal. On Thursday, it was about 9 degree below normal. He said Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 5 degree Celsius today and maximum 14.1 degree Celsius. There will be no immediate relief from the prevailing weather conditions as night temperature will remain below freezing point while the day mercury will be above normal due to open sky and dry weather during the next 48 hours in Kashmir.
Though the mercury recorded some improvement in Srinagar, it was still below freezing point during the night while maximum temperature was seven notches above normal. Srinagar was more colder than Gulmarg, a ski- resort in north Kashmir while famed health resort Pahalgam recorded lowest minimum temperature in the Valley.
While Gulmarg recorded minus 4.5 degree minimum temperature, 3.5 notches above normal, it was minus 5 degree in Srinagar, three degree below normal. However, construction work of houses and shops, damaged in September 2014 floods was going on despite below freezing temperature in the city.
Pahalgam, about 100 km from here was coldest in the valley though the minimum temperature at the famed health resort was still above normal. Against yesterday’s minus 6.9 degree minimum temperature it was minus 6.7 degree, half a notch above normal. Water level in river Lidder passing through Pahalgam remained low as snow on mountains also remained frozen.
Gateway of Kashmir, Qazigund in south Kashmir recorded minus 5.2 degree, more than two notches below normal. Drivers were seen struggling to start their vehicles after diesel was frozen. Kokernag, a tourist resort also in south Kashmir witnessed further improvement in the minimum temperature and settled at minus 1.8 degree, more than a notch above normal.
Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded minus 4.9 degree, three degree below normal, he said.
Spokesman said that bone chilling weather continued in Leh and Ladakh region due to below freezing minimum temperature. There was no change in the minimum temperature at Leh where it remained minus 16.2 degree while border town of Kargil recorded minus 14.6 degree against yesterday’s minus 16.4 degree, which was coldest of the season so far.
Bhaderwah, the tourist resort of Jammu region recorded a maximum temperature of 15.8 degree Celsius while minimum 1.0 degree Celsius whereas, Katra Mata Vaishnodevi recorded a maximum temperature of 14 degree Celsius and minimum 4.6 degree Celsius. Banihal town in Ramban recorded a minimum temperature of minus 0.8 degree Celsius and maximum 14.8 degree Celsius today.
In most hilly areas of Jammu region including Udhampur, Reasi and Doda the weather was clear and Sun shone over the sky.
An official spokesman said that most of the flights were late by one to two and half hours due to dense fog over Jammu airport. The evening flight was also late by an hour. The timings of the flights were rescheduled. Though most of them were late but all the 17 flights operated from Jammu airport today. The train service also remained badly hit as most of the trains were late by one to six hours due to foggy weather conditions. The inter-state buses operating between Jammu-Delhi, Jammu- Chandigarh, Amritsar-Jammu, Haridwar-Jammu and other stations were also late by two to three hours. Even tonight there were thick clouds of fog on the roads in Jammu areas and the visibility of hardly 30 to 50 meters at some places. The harsh cold and dense fog has contained the mobility of the people during morning hours while the school going children are facing lot of hardships due to intense cold.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
