Srinagar: ‘Chillai-e-Kalan’, the harshest period of winter, is just a day away and quite opposite to its reputation, the night temperatures in Kashmir Valley have increased remarkably with Srinagar witnessing the drastic rise.
The state’s summer capital, according to local meteorological department official, recorded a low of 2.2 degrees Celsius as against minus 3.6 degree Celsius on previous night.
Chillai-e-Kalan, a 40-day long chilliest part of the season, starts on December 21 and is followed by a 20-day long ‘Chillai Khurd’ and a 10-day-long ‘Chilla Bachha’.
The mercury in other places in the Valley also witnessed a steep rise with only two places—Pahalgam and Gulmarg— recording temperature below the freezing point.
Kokernag recorded a low of 1.0 degrees Celsius against minus 2.4C on previous night. The minimum temperature in nearby Qazigund, the gate town of Valley, also settled above freezing point at 0.8 Degrees Celsius as against last night when it settled at minus 3.2C, the Met department official said.
He said Pahalgam, also in south Kashmir, recorded minus 0.1 degrees Celsius against minus 7.0C on preceding night, and was the second coldest recorded place in the Valley. The popular ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 5.2 Degrees Celsius against minus 4.6C on previous night.
The mercury in Kupwara, in north Kashmir, settled at a low of 1.3 degrees Celsius against minus 3.5C on previous night. The ladakh region remained the coldest in the entire state with its capital Leh recording a low of minus 11.0 degrees Celsius against minus 13.2C on previous night.
The MeT office forecast a possibility of light rainfall over the next two days. “The possibility of the rainfall is around 25%.”
“There would be generally cloudy sky with possibility of rain or thunderstorm or duststorm on December 20 and possibility of light rain on December 21,” said an official of the meteorological department.
