Kashmir under deep freeze, Srinagar shivers at season’s coldest at minus 5.4°C

Srinagar : Freezing cold conditions continued unabated in Jammu and Kashmir as Srinagar endured the season’s coldest night at minus 5.4°C on Thursday.

A meteorological department official here told that mercury decreased by 0.1°C and settled to minus 5.3°C. Today’s temperature was 4.4°C below normal for this time of the year in Srinagar, the official said.

Qazigund recorded a minimum of minus 3.8°C against minus 3.2°C on the previous night, he said. The minimum temperature was 2.7°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, the official said.

Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 5.8°C against minus 5.3°C on the previous night and it was 2.0°C below normal for the famous resort in south Kashmir.

Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a minimum of minus 1.6°C against minus 2.1°C on the previous night and the temperature was below normal by 0.5°C for the place, the official said.

Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 4.2°C against minus 3.7°C on the previous night and it was 2.5°C below normal there, the official said.

Gulmarg, the official said, recorded a low of minus 5.0°C against minus 5.5°C on the previous night and the temperature was 0.8°C below normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir.

Jammu recorded a minimum of 6.7°C against 7.3°C on previous night, and it was below normal by 2.5°C for the winter capital of J&K while Banihal recorded 1.7°C, Batote 3.7°C and Bhaderwah minus 0.2°C, he said.

MeT has predicted mainly dry and cold weather in J&K till December 24.

In next 24 hours, mainly dry weather has been forecast while on December 16 generally cloudy weather with possibility of brief spell of light snow over extreme higher reaches is possibility, he said.

From December 17-24 December, the MeT has predicted “mainly dry weather.”

“Overall, dry and cold weather most likely to continue till December 24 over most places of J&K”. (GNS)