Posted by A man sits next to a fire in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk amid chilly mornings in the Himalayan region. File: Haseeb Ibn Hameed for Greater Kashmir
Srinagar: Cold wave continued to grip Kashmir and Ladakh on Tuesday with the mercury settling below the freezing point amid the prediction of a wet spell over the weekend.
The Meteorological Department officials said that the summer capital Srinagar, which had on Monday recorded the coldest night of the season at minus 3.4 degrees Celsius, witnessed a low of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius Monday night.
“Intense cold wave coupled with mist and haze continued unabated in Kashmir and Ladakh on Tuesday,” they said. “The tourist resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir remained the coldest place recording a low of minus 3.8 degrees Celsius.”
The MeT has already forecast light to moderate snowfall in Kashmir from December 9 evening to December 10 evening.
“A fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect J&K and adjoining areas from December 9. Under the influence of the system, there is a possibility of light snow over the plains and the lower reaches, and light to moderate snow over the middle and higher reaches from December 9 evening to December 10 evening, particularly over north, northwestern, central, and south Kashmir,” the MeT official said. “Light rain is expected at isolated to scattered places of Jammu.”
They said Srinagar recorded a minimum of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius.
Having remained engulfed in mist in the morning, the MeT officials said that Tuesday’s temperature was 1.3 degrees Celsius below the normal.
They said that the ski resort of Gulmarg in Baramulla recorded a low of minus 3.5 degrees Celsius against minus 3.3 degrees Celsius the previous night, 0.2 degrees Celsius below normal.
The MeT officials said that Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius against minus 3.4 degrees Celsius the previous night, 1.2 degrees Celsius below normal.
They said south Kashmir’s Kokernag resort recorded a low of minus 0.8 degrees Celsius against minus 1.4 degrees Celsius the previous night, 0.2 degrees Celsius below normal.
The MeT officials said that in Kupwara town the mercury settled at minus 2.7 degrees Celsius, the same as the previous night, and 1.3 degrees Celsius below normal.
They said that the winter capital Jammu recorded a low of 7.3 degrees Celsius against 8.1 degrees Celsius the previous night, 2.5 degrees Celsius below normal.
The MeT officials said that Banihal recorded a low of minus 0.6 degrees Celsius, below normal by 2.7 degrees Celsius, Batote by 3.1 degrees Celsius, 1.2 degrees Celsius below normal, Katra 7.8 degrees Celsius, 1.1 degrees Celsius below normal, and Bhadarwah degree Celsius, 0.1 degrees Celsius below normal.
They said that in the cold desert region Ladakh, Leh recorded minus 8 degrees Celsius and Kargil minus 11.4 degrees Celsius.