E-Paper
At -5.6°C, Srinagar records coldest night of season
Srinagar, the summer capital of Kashmir, recorded its coldest night of the season with temperatures dropping to -5.6°C. Other areas in Kashmir also experienced sub-zero temperatures, with Pahalgam being the coldest place at -6.4°C. The winter vacation for schools in the summer zone of Jammu has been extended until January 12 due to the extreme cold wave conditions. The meteorological department has forecast mostly dry weather until January 14.
As cold wave continues in Kashmir, summer capital Srinagar recorded seasons coldest night as night temperature dropped to -5.6°C on Friday night, said the meteorological department (MeT) officials.
All the weather stations in Kashmir recorded sub-zero temperatures during the night on Saturday.
The night was freezing cold with Srinagar recording minus -5.4°C, some 3.5 notches below normal on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. However the day temperature was recorded at 12.3°C, six degree above normal temperature.
Tourist resort of Pahalgam was the coldest place in Kashmir as the night temperature dropped to -6.4°C. The southern Konibal area and Pahalgam tourist resort recorded 6°C. The ski resort of Gulmarg in the north recorded temp of -4.5°C.
A meteorological update said that the gateway to Kashmir in South Kashmir, Qazigund recorded a minimum of -4.6°C while the southern area of Kokernag observed a minimum of -2.9°C. In North Kashmir, Kupwara recorded a low of -5.4°C.
Kashmir’s harshest winter period, ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’, began December 21 with the mercury dropping several notches below the freezing point at many places. The period will end on January 31. However Kashmir is yet to receive major snowfall though upper reaches of Kashmir received some snow. After deficit precipitation in December, the meteorologists of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh expect no major snowfall in the Himalayan region till mid-January.
The MeT has predicted mostly dry weather till January 14. “ On 9th January, the weather is expected to be generally cloudy over plains with possibility of light snow over isolated higher reaches,” said director MeT, Mukhtar Ahmad.
Kashmir’s winter pans out in three stages, starting with the 40-day intense period from December 21 accompanied with most of the snowfall, followed by 20 days of comparatively less intense chill (Chilla-i-Khurd), and final 10 days of mild cold (Chill-e-Bache).
Cold wave conditions; schools’ winter vacation extended till Jan 12
The government of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday extended winter vacations of government and private schools in summer zone of Jammu till January 12 in view of extreme cold wave conditions.
“In view or extreme cold weather conditions, the winter vacations of government and private recognised schools functioning in summer zones of Jammu division are further extended till January 12,” read an order issued by the director, school education, Ashok Kumar Sharma.
“However, all the teaching staff shall resume their duties with effect from January 8, 2024 and heads of institutions shall ensure classes for Class 10 to 12 through online mode during the extended vacation period. Any laxity in this regard from any government and private school shall be viewed seriously and dealt under rules,” further read the government order.
The Met department has forecast generally dry weather till January 14
“There will be generally dry weather on till January 8 and generally cloudy over plains with possibility of light snow over isolated extreme higher reaches on January 9. From January 10 to 14, it will again be dry weather,” said a Met spokesperson.
He further said that moderate to dense fog over plains of Jammu was expected during the next two days.
