Cold clutches Kashmir

Srinagar, Dec 15: Kashmir continued to reel under severe cold conditions while a feeble Western Disturbance might result in rain and snow at very isolated places in Jammu and Kashmir.

As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a fresh Western Disturbance would impact the weather across the country’s northern region.

These disturbances are essentially low-pressure systems that originate over the Mediterranean Sea and move eastwards while gathering moisture, which then gets dumped over North India.

Under the influence of this particular system, rainfall and snowfall are likely at isolated locations across J&K and Ladakh on Saturday and Sunday.

“As the intensity of these conditions will be very light, no weather alerts have been issued in these territories so far,” the IMD officials said.

However, this may change depending on how the meteorological situation evolves.

The MeT officials said here that Friday’s minimum temperature in Srinagar was above 1.9 degrees Celsius than the previous night’s minus 5.4 degrees Celsius, which was the coldest for this season.

They said that Friday’s minimum temperature was 2.5 degrees Celsius below normal for this time of the year in Srinagar.

The cold conditions resulted in freezing of interior areas of the Dal Lake.

Shallow fog was also reported from parts of Kashmir.

The MeT officials said that Gulmarg ski resort in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 3.44 degrees Celsius against minus 5 degrees Celsius the previous night and the temperature was 0.8 degrees Celsius above normal at the resort.

They said that the health resort of Pahalgam in Anantnag recorded a low of minus 5 degrees Celsius against minus 5.8 degrees Celsius the previous night and it was 1.2 degrees Celsius below normal at the resort.

The MeT officials said that Kokernag recorded a minimum of minus 1.9 degrees Celsius against minus 1.6 degrees Celsius the previous night and the temperature was below normal by 0.8 degrees Celsius for the place.

They said Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, recorded a minimum of minus 2.8 degrees Celsius against minus 3.8 degrees Celsius the previous night.

The minimum temperature was 1.7 degrees Celsius below normal for the area.

The MeT officials said Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 4.2 degrees Celsius against minus 4.2 degrees Celsius the previous night and it was 2.5 degrees Celsius below normal.

They said Jammu recorded a minimum of 7.3 degrees Celsius against 6.7 degrees Celsius the previous night, and it was below normal by 1.9 degrees Celsius.

Banihal recorded 1.7 degrees Celsius, Batote 4.2 degrees Celsius, and Bhaderwah 0.4 degrees Celsius.