Srinagar, June 20: Srinagar and other places in Kashmir Valley recorded its hottest day of the season so far with the mercury touching 33.3°C in the summer capital of J&K on Tuesday.
The maximum temperature in Srinagar was 4.1°C above normal for the season, and surpassed the previous highest of 31.8°C recorded on June 18, a meteorological department official here said.
Other places including Pahalgam (27.8°C), Qazigund (32.6°C), Kokernag (31.4°C), Kupwara (32.1°C ) and Gulmarg (23.4°C) also recorded the hottest day of the season.
Also, minimum (night) temperature recorded an increase at most places and settled above normal across J&K.
The meteorological department official said Srinagar recorded a low of 18.2°C against 16.9°C on the previous night and it was above normal by 2.4°C for the summer capital.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of 16.2°C against 15.2°C on the previous night and it was above normal by 1.9°C for the gateway town of Kashmir.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of 9.1°C against 9.6°C on the previous night and it was 0.5°C above normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
In Kupwara town, he said, the mercury settled at 14.1°C against 13.2°C on the previous night and it was above normal by 1.3°C for the north Kashmir area.
Kokernag recorded a low of 15.4°C against 16.1°C on the previous night and it was 1.4°C above normal for the place, the officials said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of 10.2°C against 10.5°C on previous night and it was above normal by 1.8°C for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.
Jammu recorded a low of 26.1°C against 21.7°C on the previous night and it was 0.4°C above normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of 17.3°C (2.2°C above normal), Batote 19.2°C (2.0°C above normal), Katra 23.6°C (1.6°C below normal) and Bhaderwah 18.2°C (above normal by 3.3°C). Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil recorded a low of 8.0°C and 11.9°C respectively, he said.
Regarding the forecast, he said, from June 20-23, mainly dry weather was expected “but a brief spell of shower/thunderstorm at 1 or 2 places towards late afternoon/evening can’t be ruled out.”
“Maximum temperature over many parts of Kashmir Division is likely to range between 30-32°C and 38-40°C over plains of Jammu, ” he said, adding, “Hot and dry weather likely to continue till June 23.”
