Srinagar, Oct 20: Weather conditions worsened in Kashmir Valley on Saturday as temperature in the summer capital fell by five degrees to send people shivering much ahead of winter.
While upper reaches received fresh snowfall, a drizzle forced people to take out warm clothing in plains to fight change in the weather. The weatherman forecast light rainfall in plains on Sunday.
Autumn has been usually a dry season in Kashmir, known for fading and falling leaves before the winter starts in December. However for the past few days, weather in Kashmir has been comparatively cold particularly during mornings and evenings.
“This is because of the snowfall on mountains and upper reaches,” said a Met official. People believe that the drop in temperature and chilly weather conditions are indications of early onset of winter.
The weatherman said the temperature recorded across the Valley for past few days has been much below normal.
“Srinagar recorded a maximum of 12.5 degrees Celsius today, five degrees below normal, and it was 8.8 the last night, three degrees below normal,” the weatherman said.
People could be seen moving around in sweaters and jackets while youth gathered around bonfires to warm themselves during mornings and evenings.
The Valley has already received its first snowfall of the season in the upper reaches of Gulmarg and Sonamarg tourist resorts last week, signaling the early onset of winter.
“The chilly conditions are indicating that people should make winter preparations early,” said a pedestrian at Lal Chowk. The deteriorating power scenario in Kashmir Valley adds up to people’s miseries during the winter months. People have been complaining of increase in the unscheduled power cuts for the past fortnight which have increased their woes at the time of cooking gas crisis.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 20 Oct 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 20 Oct 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 21 Oct 2012 00:00:00 IST