Srinagar experiences season’s coldest night at -5.6°Celsius
SRINAGAR :Srinagar experienced the coldest night of the season Saturday night as the mercury continued its downward spiral in most parts of the Kashmir valley and Ladakh region.
Srinagar recorded a low of -5.6°Celsius on Saturday night, down from -4.2 °Celsius the previous night, Met officials said Sunday.
It was the coldest night of the season so far in the city, they said.
The night temperature in the city has dropped over five degrees since Thursday as the Valley is moving closer to the 40-day harshest winter period, locally known as ‘Chillai Kalan’, which begins on December 21.
The officials said Qazigund, Kupwara and Leh also experienced the coldest night of the season Saturday night along with Srinagar.
Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, in south Kashmir recorded a low of -5.6°Celsius Saturday night, compared to the previous night’s -5° Celsius.
The officials said it was the coldest December night in Qazigund in the last four years. The town had recorded a low of -5.9° Celsius on December 27, 2014.
Kupwara in north Kashmir saw the mercury going down from -4.5°Celsius the previous night to settle at a low of -6° Celsius on Saturday, the official said.
They said it was the coldest December night in Kupwara in the last five years.
The night temperature in Pahalgam settled at a low of -9.3° Celsius, compared to the previous night’s -9.5° Celsius. Gulmarg recorded the minimum temperature of -9.5° Celsius on Saturday, up two notches from the previous night, the officials said. The mercury in Leh town, in Ladakh region, went down from the previous night’s -13.9°Celsius to settle at a low of -15.6° Celsius on Saturday night.
Leh was the coldest place in Jammu and Kashmir.
The officials said the mercury in the nearby Kargil town settled at a low of -10.8° Celsius, compared to -10.2 °Celsius the previous night.
The Met Office has forecast mainly dry weather for the week ahead.
COLD CONTINUES WITH BELOW SUB-ZERO TEMP IN HIMACHAL
Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh continue to reel under intense cold condition with night temperature hovering below subzero. Keylong, the headquarters of tribal district Lahaul-spiti remained the coldest place recording minimum temperature at -10.9 degree Celsius followed by Manali at -3°C, Bhunter at -1°C, Kalpa at 0.8°and Sundernagar at 0°C. Weather in entire state has remained dry in last 24 hours, a Met official said, predicting a clear sky for next week.