Srinagar, Jan 29: The intense cold wave continues to grip Kashmir Valley with mercury tumbling to minus 7.7°C in Srinagar, the weatherman said on Friday.
A meteorological department official said that the minimum temperature fell more than two degrees Celsius from minus 5.6°C on the previous night in Srinagar, the summer capital of J&K.
The minimum temperatures have consistently remained far below normal this season. On January 14, Srinagar witnessed the season’s coldest night at minus 8.4°C which was the chilliest one in more than 25 years. In 1991, Srinagar witnessed a low of minus 11.8°C while the lowest ever temperature was recorded on 31 January 1893 when the mercury had plummeted to minus 14.4 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, the mercury settled at minus 12.0°C in Pahalgam against minus 12.0°C on the previous night in the world-famous health resort.
Qazigund, the gateway town of J&K, recorded a low of minus 10.8°C against minus 10.5°C on the previous night while Kokernag recorded a minimum of minus 11.4°C against minus 10.7°C on the earlier night.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 11.5°C against minus 13.4°C earlier night, the official said.
The mercury settled at minus 3.0°C in the in Kupwara against minus 2.2°C on the previous night, the official said.
The present wintry period Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day winter period which commenced on December 21, ends on January 31. The period is considered the harshest of the winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum. So far this season there have been already at least two spells of considerable snowfall. 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 and cold weather with the possibility of morning mist in plans of J&K Regions” for the next 24 hours. For the subsequent two days, the forecast is “dry weather to isolated light rain /snow/thundershowers.”
