New Year's eve revellers in Kashmir may miss snowfall

The Met office here on Wednesday said there was no good news for those looking forward to snow in Kashmir around the New Year's eve.

"Weather is likely to remain dry during the next 48 hours in Jammu and Kashmir," an official of the weather office said here.

"There is no indication of any rain or snowfall in the state on the New Year's eve, although the weather would remain partially cloudy," said the official.

The intense cold wave sweeping the state continued on Wednesday as the minimum temperatures in the Kashmir Valley remained several notches below the freezing point.

The ongoing over five-month long dry spell in the state has been the longest during the last one decade.

Most water bodies including lakes, springs and rivers are partially frozen in the valley these days.

The absence of rainfall has resulted in decreased discharge in the rivers which has adversely affected electric power generation here.

All power generation projects in Jammu and Kashmir are hydro based.

"Night's lowest temperature in Srinagar city was minus 4.1 degrees Celsius. Pahalgam recorded minus 4.2 degrees Celsius and Gulmarg minus 1.4 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperatures," according to the weather office.

Leh town in the Ladakh region recorded minus 12.9 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature on Wednesday.

The minimum temperature in Jammu city was 7.2 degrees Celsius, Katra town recorded 9.4 degrees Celsius, Batote 7.3 degrees Celsius, Banihal 2.5 and Bhaderwah recorded 3 degrees Celsius.

--IANS

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