Srinagar: The mercury dipped further in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, to record the season’s lowest temperature on the eve of ‘Chillai-Kalan’ the 40-day harshest winter period.
Srinagar recorded the minimum temperature of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius, down from the previous night’s minus 4.2 degrees Celsius, a MeT official said today.
The city had recorded the same minimum temperature on December 11 and it was the lowest so far of the season.
The famous hill resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir, which serves as a base camp during the annual Amarnath yatra, was the coldest recorded place in the Valley with a low of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius, though a degree up from minus 7.2 degrees Celsius the previous night.
The MeT official said the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius, compared to the previous night’s minus 2.6 degrees Celsius.
North Kashmir’s Kupwara town, 90 kms from here, recorded a low of minus 4.7 degrees Celsius against yesterday’s minus 4.8 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature in Qazigund, gateway town to Kashmir on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, dropped over two degrees to minus 5.8 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag hill resort in south Kashmir recorded an increase of over one degree to register a minimum of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius.
Leh continues to be the coldest recorded place in the state with minimum temperature recorded at minus 13.9 degrees Celsius, a decrease of one degree from the previous night’s minus 12.5 degrees Celsius.
Kargil, also in Ladakh region, was the second coldest place recording a low of minus 13.0 degrees Celsius, again a decrease of about a degree from minus 12.1 degrees Celsius the previous night, he said.
The MET department said there is a possibility of isolated light rain and snow on December 21 and 22.
The 40-day harshest winter period begins tomorrow, coinciding with the winter solstice.
PTI