Srinagar: Freezing cold has gripped Kashmir valley as the night temperature recorded a further drop on Wednesday with south Kashmir's Pahalgam recording as the coldest place in the valley with minus 5.6°C.
A meteorological department official said that the mercury dropped in Pahalgam at minus 5.6 degrees Celsius and it was 2.4°C below normal for the famous tourist destination.
Srinagar, he said, recorded a minimum of minus 3.0°C against minus 2.2°C on the previous night. So far the coldest night at minus 3.4°C this season in the summer capital was recorded on December 5.
Qazigund recorded a low of minus 3.6°C against minus 2.2°C on the previous night. The temperature was 2.8°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, he said.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 1.9°C against minus 0.8°C on the previous night and it was 1.2°C below normal for the place, he said.
North Kashmir's Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 4.0°C against minus 3.5°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 0.3°C below normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the official said.
In Kupwara, the mercury settled at minus 3.1°C against 2.7°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 1.3°C below normal for the north Kashmir place, he said.
Pirpanjal's Banihal recorded a low of minus 0.7°C and chenab's Bhadarwah 0.9°C (0.4°C below normal).
In Ladakh, Leh recorded minus 11.0°C, Kargil minus 11.6°C and details regarding mercury in Drass, the world’s second coldest place after Siberia, were not immediately available, the official said.
Jammu recorded a low of 6.9°C against 7.3°C on the previous night. It was 3.1°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said. Batote 2.6°C (1.4°C below normal), Katra 7.6°C (1.0°C below normal).
The MeT department has already predicted light to moderate snowfall in Kashmir on December 9 to 10.
“A fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect J&K and adjoining areas from December 9. Under the influence of the system, there is a possibility of light snow over plains and lower reaches, light to moderate snow over middle and higher reaches during 9th December (evening) to 10th December (evening) particularly over north, northwestern, central parts of Kashmir and South Kashmir,” the MeT official said, adding, “Light rain was expected at isolated to scattered places of Jammu.”
(GNS)