Night temperature drops across Kashmir Valley, Ladakh

Srinagar and most other places in Kashmir division, including Ladakh region, experienced the coldest night of the winter so far last night as cold tightened its grip in the state.

The MET Office has forecast dry weather for the week ahead.

The night temperature dropped across Kashmir Valley and Ladakh region, at some places by several degrees, last night, with many stations marking the lowest temperature of the season so far, an official of the MET department said here.

He said Srinagar the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir recorded the minimum temperature of minus 6 degrees Celsius a drop of nearly five degrees from yesterdays minus 1.2 degrees Celsius.
 

The official said it was the coldest night of the season so far in the capital city.

He said the other places in the valley which experienced the coldest night of the season were Qazigund, Kokernag and Kupwara towns.

While the night temperature in Qazigund, in south Kashmir, settled at a low of minus 4.6 degrees Celsius down from minus 2.2 degrees Celsius on the previous night, the neighbouring Kokernag town recorded a low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius a drop of nearly three degrees from yesterdays minus 1.5 degrees Celsius, the official said.

He said Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 4.6 degrees Celsius, compared to the previous nights minus 3.2 degrees Celsius.

Gulmarg - the famous ski-resort in north Kashmir - recorded a low of minus 9.4 degrees Celsius same as the previous night.

The night temperature in Pahalgam - the famous health resort which also serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra decreased marginally from the low of minus 8.4 degrees Celsius the previous night to settle at a low of minus 8.9 degrees Celsius last night.

Kargil, in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, was the coldest recorded place in the state as the mercury there settled at a low of minus 18.8 degrees Celsius.

The night temperature in the nearby Leh town went down over a degree from a low of minus 15.6 degrees Celsius the previous night to settle at a low of minus 16.8 degrees last night, the official said.

He said it was the lowest night temperature of the season in Leh.

Kashmir is currently under the grip of Chillai-Kalan

a 40-day harshest period of winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably.

It ends on January 31 next year, but the cold wave continues even after that in the valley.

The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long Chillai- Khurd (small cold) and a 10-day long Chillai-Bachha (baby cold).

The MET Office has said the weather is likely to remain dry over the next week.