Jammu logs fourth lowest day temperature in decades, colder than Kashmir

JAMMU: Jammu witnessed an exceptionally cold day on Wednesday, with the city recording a maximum temperature of just 7.4 degrees Celsius, around 10 degrees below normal for this part of the winter season, a Meteorological Department official said.

The temperature stands as the fourth-lowest maximum in Jammu in four decades, with colder daytime temperatures reported in 1986 (5.0 degrees C), 2013 (6.7 degrees C), and 2016 (7.1 degrees C), the official said.

The city also recorded a minimum temperature of 4.0 degrees Celsius, which was 2.9 notches below the seasonal average.

Incidentally, Jammu, on Tuesday, emerged as the coldest recorded place in the Union territory, even colder than several high-altitude locations in the Kashmir Valley.

The snow-bound resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a daytime high of 8.2 degrees Celsius, while Pahalgam, a key tourist destination in south Kashmir, registered a maximum of 10.6 degrees Celsius, the official said.

Srinagar witnessed a comparatively warmer day, recording a maximum temperature of 13.3 degrees Celsius, while Banihal, the gateway town to Kashmir along the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway, remained significantly warmer at 17.8 degrees Celsius.

Katra, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district, also recorded a maximum temperature of 18.2 degrees Celsius, the official said.

Similar to last week, residents of Jammu once again woke up to dense fog on Wednesday, which disrupted air and rail traffic to and from the city.

Out of the 26 flights scheduled to operate from Jammu airport, three flights, Srinagar–Jammu–Mumbai, Srinagar–Jammu–Srinagar and Delhi–Jammu–Delhi, were cancelled, while nine others were delayed, officials said.

Similarly, several trains were also delayed due to poor visibility, they said. (PTI)