SRINAGAR : After a brief respite due to cloudy weather which resulted in light snowfall in plains and heavy in upper reaches, night chill returned due to considerable drop in the temperature.
Pahalgam, a world famous health resort in south Kashmir recorded coldest night of the season after the mercury dropped further and settled at minus 11.2 degree while water bodies, including the famed Dal Lake were frozen partially after the minimum temperature dropped to minus 3.5 degree against yesterdays minus 0.2 degree.
People continued to freeze in Leh and Kargil, where the minimum temperature remained below minus 17 degree. A Met department spokesperson said light rain or snow could occur at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir during the next 24 hrs. There would be no large change during the subsequent four days.
After receiving fresh snowfall during the past 24 hours, the minimum temperature witnessed a considerable drop at Pahalgam, base camp of holy Amarnath cave shrine. Met spokesperson said against yesterday’s minus 2.2 degree minimum temperature it was minus 11.2 degree, more than five notches below normal.
The water level in the river Lidder has also dropped considerably as the snow on upper reaches was frozen. The earlier coldest was minus 7.6 degree recorded on December 12. Gulmarg, the world famous ski resort in north Kashmir also recorded one degree drop after fresh snowfall yesterday. Met spokesperson said against yesterdays minus 8.6 degree, it was minus 9.6 degree, two notches below normal. After yet another chilly night due to more than three degree drop in the minimum temperature, people in the summer capital Srinagar, woke up to a sunny morning, though icy cold winds continued.
Due to moderate to heavy snowfall on surrounding hills and light in the city, Srinagar recorded minus 3.5 degree minimum temperature against yesterday’s minus 0.2 degree. Qazigund, gateway of Kashmir on Srinagar-Jammu national highway, which is through for one-way traffic, recorded minus 3.2 degree, Kokernag minus 4.5 degree and Kupwara mius 3.8 degree.
There was no respite in Leh and Kargil, where all water bodies, including lakes and nallahs, remained frozen. Met spokesman said at Leh the minimum temperature was minus 16.7 degree against yesterdays minus 12.2 degree while at Kargil, a border town, it was minus 17 degree against minus 13.7 degree recorded yesterday.
(AGENCIES)
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