Cold conditions intensify in Kashmir valley
IMD predicts snowfall in hills, rainfall in northwest and central India
Srinagar/New Delhi: The minimum temperature at most places in Kashmir valley settled several degrees below the freezing point, officials said on Monday. Meanwhile, IMD has predicted snowfall in hills and rainfall in northwest and central India from Tuesday.
Srinagar recorded a low of minus 1.1 degrees Celsius on Sunday night, down from minus 0.2 degrees Celsius the previous night, the officials said.
They said Pahalgam, which serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath yatra, recorded a low of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius.
Gulmarg resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district also recorded a minimum temperature of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius.
The mercury in Kupwara in north Kashmir settled at a low of minus 1.6 degrees Celsius.
Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, recorded minus 2 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag recorded a low of minus 0.5 degrees Celsius.
The MET Office has said the weather will most likely remain dry but cold till December 3.
The wintry conditions in the valley set-in much ahead of the beginning of extreme harsh weather conditions which usually start around the third week of December.
‘Chillai Kalan’, the 40-day period of harsh winter in Kashmir, begins on December 21 every year.
Meanwhile, a western disturbance is likely to bring snowfall to the hills and rain to northwest and adjoining central India from the night of November 30, the India Meteorological Department said.
“Scattered to fairly widespread rain/thunderstorm likely over Gujarat, north Maharashtra and adjoining areas of southwest Madhya Pradesh and south Rajasthan from November 30 to December 2 with peak rainfall activity on December 1,” it said in a statement. Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall likely over Gujarat on December 1 and 2. Isolated heavy rainfall also likely over north Kankan on December 1, the weather department said.
“Isolated to scattered rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm/lightning likely over West Madhya Pradesh, East Rajasthan, Haryana, West Uttar Pradesh during December 1-2.
“Scattered to fairly widespread rainfall/snowfall accompanied with isolated thunderstorm/lightning likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan- Muzaffarabad, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh on December 1 and 2,” the forecast read.
Press Trust of India
