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At -6 degree Celsius, Srinagar records season’s lowest temperature
The meteorological centre in Srinagar said that the city’s weather monitoring station logged -6 degree Celsius on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, some 4 notches below normal
The cold intensified further in Kashmir valley on Thursday as summer capital Srinagar recorded the coldest and freezing night of the season so far.
The meteorological centre in Srinagar said that the city’s weather monitoring station logged -6 degree Celsius on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, some 4 notches below normal. Earlier on the intervening night of December 9 and 10, the city had recorded -5.4 degree Celsius.
“Srinagar was the coldest this season during the night with mercury settling at -6 degree Celsius as against the normal temperature of -2 degrees,” said meteorologist Farooq Ahmad Bhat.
“Such extremely low temperatures in December in Srinagar were reported in 2021 and 2020 at -6 and -6.6 degree Celsius,” he said.
The sub zero temperatures caused mild fog in parts of the city while some water bodies, water pipes and water taps were found frozen in the mornings.
Bhat said that the low temperatures were owing to dry weather this December.
“Most of this month so far has been by and large dry and there isn’t any prediction of any major wet weather spell in coming days as well,” he said.
All the weather monitoring stations in Kashmir witnessed below zero temperatures during the night.
The coldest place recorded by the MeT was at Konibal in south Kashmir’s Pampore town where the mercury dropped to a low of -8.4 degree Celsius followed by the gateway into Kashmir at Qazigund which reported a low of -7.0 degree Celsius.
The southern hill resort of Pahalgam witnessed a minimum of -6.8 degree Celsius.
The MeT in an update said that north Kashmir was equally cold with Kupwara and Gulmarg witnessing a low of -6.2 and -5 degree Celsius respectively.
The update said that the weather will be generally dry on Friday as well.
“On December 21-22, the weather will be cloudy with very Light Snow over a few higher reaches,” the centre said.
On December 27-28, there is again prediction of cloudy weather with light snow over higher reaches towards late evening of December 27 to 28. “The year end is also expected to be generally cloudy with light snow at a few higher reaches,” the centre said.
“Cold wave is expected to continue at isolated to scattered places,” it said.
The Kashmir valley’s mountains have received some bouts of light snowfall since November 11 but there has not been any major precipitation in plains or mountains so far. The month of November was also a rain deficit month.
Valley’s harshest 40-day winter period called Chillai Kalan will commence from Saturday.
