Srinagar: Sub-zero night temperatures and morning mist on Thursday forced people to remain indoors till the morning hours in Kashmir and Ladakh while Pahalgam tourist hotspot in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district recorded a low of minus 5.6 degrees Celsius.
There is no respite in sight considering the cold conditions as Chillai-e-Kalan – the 40-day-long chilliest part of winter is set to start from December 21 amid forecast for dry weather.
A 20-day long ‘Chillai Khurd’ and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai Bachha’ follow Chillai-e-Kalan.
“The summer capital, Srinagar recorded a low of minus 3.2 degrees Celsius, two notches above the lowest temperature recorded this season on December 5 and 14, 2.4 degrees Celsius below normal,” the MeT officials.
They said that in the cold desert Ladakh, Leh recorded minus 10.6 degrees Celsius and Kargil minus 11.6 degrees Celsius. The MeT officials said that Gulmarg ski-resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district recorded a low of minus 3 degrees Celsius against minus 4 degrees Celsius the previous night, 1.2 degrees Celsius above normal. They said Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 3.6 degrees Celsius against minus 3 degrees Celsius the previous night, 2.5 degrees Celsius below normal.
The MeT officials said that Pahalgam resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district recorded a low of minus 5.6 degrees Celsius against minus 5.3 degrees Celsius the previous night, 1.8 degrees Celsius below normal.
They said another south Kashmir resort, Kokernag recorded a low of minus 1.3 degrees Celsius against minus 0.3 degrees Celsius the previous night, 0.2 degrees Celsius below normal.
The MeT officials said that the mercury in the north Kashmir’s Kupwara town settled at minus 3.2 degrees Celsius against minus 2.8 degrees Celsius the previous night, 1.5 degrees Celsius below normal. They said the winter capital Jammu recorded a low of 7.1 degrees Celsius against 6.4 degrees Celsius the previous night, 2.1 degrees Celsius below normal.