Srinagar: Srinagar recorded season’s lowest temperature at minus 6.4 degrees Celsius, Qazigund at minus 6.2 degrees Celsius and Kupwara at minus 6 degrees Celsius and severe cold conditions resulted in partial freezing of parts of Dal Lake, the Meteorological Department (MeT) said Thursday.
The MeT officials said that other parts of Kashmir and Ladakh too reeled under intense cold and predicted further fall in temperature.
Ladakh too is witnessing an extreme cold wave. Leh recorded the minimum temperature of minus 15.2 degrees Celsius, Kargil minus 16.9 degrees Celsius, and Drass minus 23.9 degrees Celsius.
The MeT has predicted clear weather till January 7, which would result in a further drop in temperature across Kashmir and Ladakh.
“From January 8 to January 10, the weather is expected to be cloudy with the possibility of snowfall and rain in Kashmir,” the MeT officials said.
The residents of Kashmir are facing difficulties due to intense cold weather. However, it is a visual treat for the tourists coming to Kashmir to experience the cold weather and snow-clad mountains, and it is for the first time such a number of tourists are staying in the houseboats on Dal Lake during the extreme winter.
The MeT officials said Srinagar recorded a low of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius against last night’s minus 5.2 degrees Celsius, 4.3 degrees Celsius below normal.
They said Qazigund recorded a low of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius against minus 5.2 degrees Celsius the previous night, 3.3 degrees Celsius below normal. The MeT officials said Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 9.2 degrees Celsius against minus 9.4 degrees Celsius the previous night, 2.6 degrees Celsius below normal.
They said Kokernag recorded a low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius against minus 3.8 degrees Celsius the previous night, 0.9 degrees Celsius below normal. The MeT officials said Gulmarg ski resort in Baramulla recorded a low of minus 7.5 degrees Celsius against minus 8.4 degrees Celsius the previous night, 0.5 degrees Celsius below normal.
They said that in Kupwara town, mercury settled at minus 6 degrees Celsius against minus 4.1 degrees Celsius the previous night, 3.5 degrees Celsius below normal.
The MeT officials said Jammu recorded a low of 3 degrees Celsius against 4.5 degrees Celsius the previous night, 4.3 degrees Celsius below normal.