Srinagar, Dec 24: As Kashmir is expecting a wet spell on December 27 and 28, the overnight temperature rose slightly across the Valley, officials said on Thursday.
A MeT official said that mercury settled in Srinagar at minus 3.8 °C against minus 5.0 °C on previous night. While the mercury increased by more than a degree, it was below two degrees Celsius for this time of the year in Srinagar, where people endured second coldest night at minus 6.6 °C in a decade on last Saturday.
The temperature also remained below or equal to normal overnight in other parts of the Valley with Gulmarg, the world famous skiing resort recording a low of minus 5.6 °C. The minimum temperature is normal for Gulmarg for this time of the year and as per the MeT department moderate snow is expected there on December 27 followed by a light spell on the next day. Pahalgam, the famous tourist destination in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 5.2 °C. Qazigund recorded minus 3.4 °C (a degree below the normal), Kupwara minus 3.8 °C (one degree below normal) and Kokernag minus 3.0 °C (one degree below normal).
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 and Ladakh for next two days till December 27.
“The weather is going be dry in next 24 hours,” the MeT official said. While snowfall is expected, mainly on upper reaches, on December 27, the forecast for Srinagar has one or two spells of rain or thundershowers store on the day (Sunday).
Due to the harsh weather conditions, people are facing a lot of problems. The water supply has been disrupted with frozen taps becoming a common sight now. The frequent power cuts, scheduled or unscheduled, only amplify the cold and add to the discomfort of the people. Some portions of the Dal Lake were also frozen due to the cold wave.
