Cold wave intensifies in Valley, Kargil witnesses -20.7°C

Srinagar, January 27

The cold wave intensified in Kashmir as the mercury stayed several degrees below the freezing point at all weather stations in the Valley, the meteorological department said on Sunday.

The minimum temperature in Srinagar on Saturday night settled at -1.4°C, slightly up from -1.8 °Cthe previous night, the official said. He said Qazigund — the gateway town to the Valley — recorded a low of -6.6°C, a dip of over three degrees over the previous night’s -3.2°C.

The nearby Kokernag town registered a low of -6.9°C last night, almost same as -6.8°C the previous night, he said.

The mercury in Kupwara town in north Kashmir dipped to -6.5°C compared to previous night’s low of -2.6°C, he said.

The Gulmarg ski-resort in north Kashmir recorded a low of -12°Con Saturday night, a rise of two degrees over the previous night, while Pahalgam tourist resort, in south Kashmir, recorded a low of 13°C, the official said. He said Leh in the frontier Ladakh region recorded -15.5°C, a rise of one degree over previous night.

The mercury in nearby Kargil district settled at -20.7°C. Kargil was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir.

Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chillai-Kalan’ — the 40-day harshest period of winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably. — PTI