Barring Srinagar and south Kashmir’s Kokernag, the mercury dropped slightly across Kashmir valley last night, the weatherman said on Wednesday.
A meteorological department official told that Srinagar, the summer capital of J&K, recorded a low of minus 2.0°C against minus 2.4°C the previous night.
The minimum temperatures have consistently remained far below normal this winter. On January 14, Srinagar witnessed the season’s coldest night at minus 8.4°C which was the coldest in more than 25 years. In 1991, Srinagar witnessed a low of minus 11.8°C while the lowest ever temperature was recorded on 31 January 1893 when the mercury had plummeted to minus 14.4 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, the mercury settled at minus 7.7°C in Pahalgam against minus 7.1°C on the previous night in the world-famous health resort in south Kashmir.
Qazigund, the gateway town of J&K, recorded a low of minus 4.4°C against 2.8°C on the previous night while Kokernag recorded a minimum of minus 8.3°C against 9.0°C on the earlier night.
Ski resort Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 12.0°C against 11.5°C earlier night.
The mercury settled at minus 2.0°C in the in Kupwara against minus 1.4°C on the previous night, the official said.
Kashmir is in the middle Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day winter period which commenced on December 21 and ends on January 31. The period is considered the harshest of the winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum.
The cold wave, however, continues even after that in Kashmir with a 20-day-long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold).
The weatherman has forecast mainly dry weather with morning mist in the plains of J&K for the next 24 hours. The weather is likely to stay dry till January 31, the MeT official added. ( GNS )
