Severe cold conditions prevailed in parts of Kashmir Valley on Thursday with mercury plunging to bone chilling -12 degree Celsius in the ski resort of Gulmarg.
The meteorological centre in Srinagar said the temperature on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday in north Kashmir’s Gulmarg was some 5.3 notches below normal.
Similarly, south Kashmir’s Pahalgam recorded a minimum of -11.9 degrees C on the intervening night, some 5.7 notches below normal.
The centre in an update said the summer capital Srinagar recorded a low of -5.2 degrees C lower than previous night’s -2 degrees C.
The gateway to Kashmir, Qazigund in South Kashmir, experienced a minimum of -6.4 degrees C further down from -3.2 degrees C on the previous night. South’s Kokernag also recorded sub-zero temperature of -4.5 degrees C.
In north Kashmir, the frontier district of Kupwara on the Line of Control recorded a low of -5.4 degrees C, down from -3.3 degrees C on the previous night.
In Jammu, the minimum temperature was recorded at 3.6 degrees C, some 5.9 notches below normal for the winter capital.
Bhaderwah witnessed a minimum of -2.1 degrees C, Banihal -1.4 degrees C and Batote 0.3 degrees C on the intervening night.
{{/usCountry}}Bhaderwah witnessed a minimum of -2.1 degrees C, Banihal -1.4 degrees C and Batote 0.3 degrees C on the intervening night.
{{/usCountry}}This week, the day temperatures are hovering around normal while the nights are becoming increasingly colder. There was bright sunshine in the summer capital Srinagar on Thursday.
Director MeT Mukhtar Ahmad said the weather will remain dry till February 17. “The weather will be occasionally cloudy towards evening during February 14,” he said.
The MeT also predicted that there was a possibility of snow and rains between 18 to 20 February.
The Valley is passing through the second moderate phase of winter called Chillai Khurd after the harshest 40-day period ended on January 29 with warm and dry days.
Avalanche hits Ganderbal
A massive avalanche struck the Sarbal area of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district near the Zojila tunnel workshop, on Thursday, officials said. No loss of life has been reported so far, they said.
“The avalanche hit near a nallah close to Zojila workshop. There was no loss of life or property,” said a police officer of Ganderbal.
The authorities have issued an avalanche warning for the higher-reaches of Kashmir Valley following heavy snowfall in the first week of February. People have been advised to avoid venturing towards the avalanche-prone zones for the next 24 hours.