Cold grips Kashmir

Srinagar, Nov 21: While dense fog hampered flight operations at the Srinagar International Airport on Tuesday, cold tightened its grip further in Kashmir while Srinagar recorded the coldest night of the season so far.

Like other parts of Kashmir, early Tuesday morning dense fog engulfed the Srinagar International Airport, subsequently resulting in the delay of three flights.

The dense fog blanketed Kashmir on Tuesday, causing poor visibility.

“Three morning flights were delayed due to the fog,” Director Srinagar International Airport, Javid Anjum told Greater Kashmir.

He said that the operation of flights resumed with the improvement in visibility.

“The flight operations are now normal,” he said.

The dense fog gave a tough time to the commuters across Kashmir and the condition is attributed to the season’s lowest minimum temperature, which plummeted to minus 1.2 degrees Celsius overnight.

The Meteorological Department (MeT) officials said that the foggy weather was likely to persist until November 26, posing potential challenges for air travel in Kashmir.

The MeT officials said that Srinagar, the summer capital of J&K, recorded the season’s coldest night on Tuesday.

They said Srinagar recorded a low of minus 1.2 degrees Celsius against minus 0.8 degrees Celsius the previous night.

The temperature was minus 2 degrees Celsius below normal for this time of the year in the capital city.

Most parts of the city also saw a thick blanket of fog, reducing visibility and causing inconvenience to commuters in the morning.

They said that Gulmarg ski resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district recorded a minimum of minus 0.6 degrees Celsius and it was above 1 degree Celsius normal for the famed skiing resort.

The MeT officials said that Pahalgam health resort in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 2.9 degrees Celsius, below 1 degree Celsius than normal.

Officials said that Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a minimum of minus 0.2 degrees Celsius which was below normal for the place by around minus 2 degrees Celsius.

The MeT officials said that Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, recorded a minimum of 0.8 degrees Celsius against minus 0.4 degrees Celsius the previous night.

The minimum temperature was minus 2 degrees Celsius below normal for the place.

The officials said that Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 0.8 degrees Celsius which was 1 degree Celsius below normal.

They said Jammu recorded a minimum of 11.2 degrees Celsius which was below normal by minus 1 degree Celsius for the place.

“Till November 26, the weatherman has predicted generally dry weather with occasional cloudiness on November 25,” the MeT officials said. “No significant weather activity is expected till November 26. However, there will be shallow fog with mist during morning and evening hours.”