Cold keeps Kashmir and Ladakh in its grip with sub-zero temperatures
By: Tariq Shah VOV
Srinagar
With clear skies and sunshine during the day, Kashmir valley along with Ladakh is reeling under intense cold conditions as Srinagar recorded a low of minus 5.9°C while mercury settled at minus 8.4°C in Pahalgam, the world famous tourist resort, the weatherman said on Saturday.
The sub-zero temperatures have not only resulted in multiple problems to aged people and children but also have added to the difficulties of people to live the daily life.
At many places water pipes have burst or have frozen due to the minus temperatures and people have to fetch the drinking from the other water sources.
The freezing has resulted in a lot of problems even in the by lanes resulting in slippery conditions and it has also resulted in injuries to people while walking out.
In Ladakh, Kargil remained the coldest with minimum temperature plunging to minus 20.4°C while Leh recorded a low of 15.6°C, a MeT official said.
Minimum temperature in Srinagar was five notches higher than the previous night’s minus 6.4°C. So far the season’s coldest night in Srinagar was recorded on December 19 last when the mercury plunged to minus 6.6°C. Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 7.5°C against minus 9.0 on the previous night, the official said.
Pahalgam was the coldest place in the Valley at minus 8.4°C and on previous night the mercury had settled at a low of minus 7.8°C. Qazigund recorded minus 6.1°C against minus 5.7°C on the earlier night, Kupwara recorded minus 6.1°C while Kokernag recorded a low of minus 6.4°C, the official further said.
Kashmir is in the middle Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day winter period which commenced on December 21 and ends on January 31. The period is considered the harshest of the winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum.
The cold wave, however, continues even after that in Kashmir with a 20-day-long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold).
The weatherman has forecast mainly dry weather over Jammu and Kashmir for next couple of days.
From January 4 there is a possibility of widespread snow and rain across the Valley with main activity on January 5, the MeT official said.
