Srinagar's hot spell to continue

This Jammu and Kashmir summer capital, which recorded the hottest day of the season at 34.1 degrees Celsius a day ago, is likely to experience hot weather for another two days, the weather office said Monday.

"The present hot weather conditions are likely to continue over the next two days, and the maximum temperature is likely to rise further in this period," Sonam Lotus, director of the regional weather office told IANS.

"On June 13, we expect some relief as pre-monsoon showers are expected. The effect of the showers will be more pronounced in the Jammu region, but we are expecting some thundershowers from the evening June 12 onwards in the Valley", he added.

Lotus said the weather tolerance levels of locals seemed to have come down in recent years, sdded that the met office had been getting many calls from people complaining of "sweltering heat".

"It is normal temperature for the month of June in Kashmir, but the way people are complaining, it appears as if they are experiencing such weather for the first time", Lotus said. The highest recorded here for the month was 37.8 degrees Celsius on June 29, 1978.

The minimum temperature was 18.6 degrees Celsius in Srinagar on Monday, while the maximum and minimum were 28 and 11 degrees in Pahalgam hill station, and 23.6 and 13 degrees in the Gulmarg ski resort.