Srinagar: The cold wave sweeping Jammu and Kashmir continued unabated on Thursday with Srinagar, the summer capital of the state recording coldest night in 28 years at minus 7.6 degrees Celsius.
A Meteorological department official told INS the last night’s temperature was just a degree below to what was recorded on 7 December 1990 when Srinagar recorded a low of minus 8.8 degrees Celsius.
The all-time low recorded in the month of December in Srinagar was minus 12.8 degrees Celsius on December 13, 1934.
The cold wave resulted in freezing of some water bodies, including the fringes of the famous Dal Lake here, and residential water supply pipes.
The official said Qazigund the gateway town to the Valley recorded a low of minus 6.1 against last night’s minus 5.9 degrees Celsius, while the nearby Kokernag registered a low of minus 6.2 against previous night’s minus 5.4 degrees Celsius.
The night temperature in Pahalgam, also in south Kashmir, settled at a low of minus 8.3 against minus 7.9 degrees Celsius on preceding night, the official told INS.
The ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded the minimum temperature of minus 9.0 degrees Celsius and was coldest place in the Valley, he said.
Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 6.7 degrees Celsius down from minus 6.4 degrees Celsius on previous night, he said.
Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chillai-Kalan’ the 40-day harshest period of winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably.
‘Chillai-Kalan’ ends on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that in Kashmir.
The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold).
