Night temperatures plunge across Kashmir

Srinagar, Nov 19: Kashmir started to reel under an intensified cold wave as temperatures plummeted across the Valley, with Pahalgam emerging as the coldest on Tuesday, recording a biting minus 3.6 degrees Celsius.

The Meteorological Department officials predicted dry weather for the next four days and a further drop in minimum temperatures.

The MeT officials said that the night temperature in Srinagar, dipped to 0.4 degrees Celsius on Monday night, marking a drop of 0.3 degrees Celsius below the seasonal average. This is for the first time during this season that the city has experienced temperatures below normal, they said.

Pahalgam health resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district saw temperatures plunge further from -2.6 degrees Celsius the previous night to minus 3.6 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.

This was 1.5 degrees Celsius below the normal temperature for this time of year, making it the coldest place in the Valley.

Officials said that Gulmarg ski resort in north Kashmir witnessed slight relief as the temperature improved to minus 1.5 degrees Celsius, although it remained 0.7 degrees Celsius below the normal for the season.

The resort had recorded its coldest night of the season just a day earlier when the mercury dropped to -3 degrees Celsius.

In Qazigund, often referred to as the gateway to Kashmir, the minimum temperature dropped significantly to minus 1.4 degrees Celsius from 2.6 degrees Celsius the previous night.

This was a sharp 1.9 degrees Celsius below the average for this time of the year.

Kokernag recorded a low of 1.4 degrees Celsius, which was consistent with the seasonal norm, but still lower than the 4.2 degrees Celsius recorded the previous night.

Kupwara in north Kashmir also experienced a noticeable dip in temperatures, with the minimum settling at minus 0.5 degrees Celsius, down from 0.2 degrees Celsius the previous night.

The reading was 0.2 degrees Celsius below the average for the district.

While the nights are witnessing a steep drop in mercury, daytime temperatures in most parts of the valley, barring Gulmarg, hovered 0 to 1 degree Celsius above normal on Monday.

This came as bright sunshine broke through the cold, offering some respite during the day.

The MeT predicted that the current dry spell is likely to continue until November 23.

However, a fresh wet spell is expected to hit J&K starting November 24.

This could bring light rain and snowfall over the higher reaches and scattered areas in Kashmir, with isolated places in the Jammu division also likely to experience precipitation.

After the wet spell, the weather is expected to turn dry again and remain so until November 30.

The intensified cold comes in the wake of recent snowfall across Kashmir, which blanketed higher altitudes.

The snow-covered slopes of Gulmarg and Pahalgam have started attracting tourists eager to experience the season’s first snow.

However, the snowfall has also contributed to the sharp drop in temperatures, particularly in the areas where the accumulation was significant.