Dal Lake frozen
Children playing on a frozen portion of the Dal Lake in Srinagar on Thursday. A part of Kashmir’s centrepiece froze on Thursday as a cold wave worsened with the mercury in Srinagar plunging to -8.4°C, the lowest in the city in 26 years.
SRINAGAR: A part of Kashmir’s centrepiece Dal Lake froze on Thursday as the cold wave in the Valley worsened with the mercury in Srinagar plunging to minus 8.4 degrees Celsius, the lowest in the city in 26 years, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Meteorologist Sonam Lotus said Wednesday recorded Srinagar’s coldest winter night since 1995. “As per our record, the same minimum temperature was recorded in 1995. We do not expect the temperatures to fall beyond this.” He added that Srinagar had recorded a minimum temperature of minus 7.8 degrees Celsius two days earlier. Lotus said the weather will remain dry till January 20. “There is no forecast of heavy snowfall and rainfall till January 27. However, light rain and snowfall cannot be ruled out,” he said. The lowest temperature ever -- minus 14.4 degrees Celsius--was recorded in 1893.
The mountainous resort town of Pahalgam was the coldest place in the Valley as it recorded a minimum temperature of minus 11.1 degrees Celsius, up from minus 11.7 a day earlier. The mercury plunged to minus 7 in Gulmarg, the famous ski resort over 150 km away.
The freezing temperature added to the woes of people as water supply pipes have frozen and roads have become risky for motorists.