Weather vagaries: Kashmir braces up for another wet spell
Srinagar: Amid another wet spell that starts today, Kashmir Valley is witnessing cold wave conditions with mercury slipping further below the freezing point at most places. The local meteorological department has forecast wet weather over the next six days in the state.
Drass, the second coldest inhabited place in the world, continued to shiver at extreme sub-zero temperatures as the remote area in Kargil district recorded a low of minus 30.4 degrees Celsius Monday night, an official of the MET department said Tuesday.
The maximum temperature recorded in Drass was minus 13.7 degrees Celsius on Monday, the official said.
In Leh district, the mercury settled at a low of minus 17.4 degrees Celsius Monday night while the maximum temperature was 2.5 degrees below freezing point during the day, he added.
Kargil district was also reeling under intense cold as the minimum temperature Monday night was minus 22.5 degrees Celsius while the maximum temperature during the day was minus 6.4 degrees Celsius.
The cold wave intensified in Kashmir valley also as the minimum temperature continued its downward slide.
The minimum temperature in Srinagar Monday night settled at minus 5.4 degrees Celsius nearly two degrees down from minus 3.5 degrees Celsius the previous night, the official said.
He said Qazigund the gateway town to the valley in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 7.8 degrees Celsius, while nearby Kokernag town registered a low of minus 7.3 degrees Celsius Monday night.
The mercury in Kupwara town in north Kashmir settled at minus 7.8 degrees Celsius compared to the previous night’s low of minus 6.3 degrees Celsius, he said.
Gulmarg ski-resort in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 12.2 degrees Celsius, rising marginally from the previous night’s minus 12.6 degrees Celsius, while Pahalgam tourist resort, in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 13.7 degrees Celsius, the official said.
The weatherman has forecast rain or snow at most places across the state over the next six days.
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 minimum 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).
Admin issues avalanche warning
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan Tuesday issued fresh avalanche warning in nine avalanche prone districts of Kashmir division.
The warning has been issued for the avalanche prone areas in district Anantnag, Kulgam, Budgam, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Kargil and Leh of J&K state.
As per the hand out, the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir has asked the Deputy Commissioners of all these districts to advise the people living in avalanche prone areas not to venture out to avoid the loss of lives.
The Div Com also directed the concerned DCs to take all the precautionary measures and to keep the SDRF, Police and Para-medical staff with ambulances in readiness to avert any untoward incident. (With PTI Inputs)
KV News
