Kashmir Faces Intense Cold as Minimum Temperatures Continue to Drop to minus 9.5°C, Freezing Water Bodies
Kashmir is experiencing a significant drop in minimum temperatures, as intense cold continues to grip the valley, leading to the freezing of several water bodies and water supply lines in numerous areas.
On Tuesday night, Srinagar recorded a low of minus 7.3 degrees Celsius, a further decline from the previous night’s minus 6.6 degrees Celsius, as reported by the meteorological department. They forecast that temperatures in Kashmir will continue to drop by two to three degrees in the next two days.
Except for Gulmarg, temperatures fell sharply across all other weather stations in the valley.
The region is currently in the midst of ‘Chillai-Kalan,’ the harshest 40-day winter period, which began on December 21. During this period, both maximum and minimum temperatures are significantly below normal for this time of the year.
The plummeting temperatures have caused freezing water supply lines, and a thin layer of ice has formed over several water bodies, including the Dal Lake.
Srinagar’s temperatures are lower than those in Gulmarg, a famous skiing destination in north Kashmir, which saw a minimum temperature of minus 6.6 degrees Celsius, a slight improvement from minus 7.4 degrees Celsius the night before.
Pahalgam, in southern Kashmir, recorded minus 8.4 degrees Celsius, down from minus 7.8 degrees Celsius the previous night.
Qazigund, the gateway to Kashmir, saw a minimum temperature of minus 6.6 degrees Celsius, while Konibal, a village in Pampore, was the coldest with minus 9.5 degrees Celsius.
Other notable temperatures included minus 6.4 degrees Celsius in Kupwara (north Kashmir) and minus 5.4 degrees Celsius in Kokernag (south Kashmir).
The weather forecast indicates light snowfall over the higher reaches of the valley from the afternoon of December 27 through the morning of December 28. However, conditions will remain mainly dry from December 29 to 31. Light snowfall is expected in isolated higher areas on New Year’s Eve, with additional snowfall possible in scattered locations in Kashmir from January 1-4.
Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day period of extreme cold, is typically marked by frequent snowfall and significant drops in temperature. This period concludes on January 30, but the cold wave is likely to persist beyond that, followed by the 20-day ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and the 10-day ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold).
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