Cold wave intensifies in Kashmir

Srinagar: The cold wave intensified in Kashmir with the mercury staying several degrees below the freezing point in most parts of the Valley as a Met department forecast said dry weather was likely to continue this week. Bright sunshine during the day and clear skies at night has resulted in the mercury dipping further over the past 24 hours in the Kashmir region.

Kashmir is experiencing extreme dry and cold conditions this winter, leading to health-related problems among children and elderly people. However, Kargil town in Ladakh region saw the mercury rising by three degrees last night, but the temperature still settled at -17C, a Meteorological department official said.

He said Kargil remained the coldest place in the state. The nearby Leh town was the second coldest with the temperature settling at -10.5C. He said Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded a minimum temperature of -5.7C last night.

The night temperature in Qazigund, in south Kashmir, settled at -5.0C, while the neighbouring Kokernag town registered a low of -1.8C last night, the official said. He said Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded a low of -4.7C, slightly down from the previous night’s -4.0C.

The official said the night temperature in Pahalgam – a popular health resort which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra – settled at -5.8C. The ski-resort Gulmarg recorded a minimum of -7.0C.

Kashmir is now under the grip of Chillai-Kalan – a 40-day harshest period of winter. It ends on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that in the Valley.