Mercury drops in Kashmir, MeT predicts dry weather for next 24 hours

February 1, 2023 by News Desk

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Amid the forecast for mainly dry weather in the next 24 hours, the minimum temperature recorded a drop in some places in Jammu Kashmir on Wednesday with Pahalgam recording a low of minus 8.9°C.

A meteorological department official here told GNS that Srinagar recorded a low of 0.4°C against 0.0°C on the previous night. Today’s minimum temperature, he said, was above normal by 1.1°C for the summer capital.

Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of 0.2°C against minus 0.4°C on the previous night and it was 2.3°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir.

Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 8.9°C against minus 4.7°C on the previous night and it was 2.8°C below normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

Kokernag recorded a low of minus 0.5°C against minus 0.8°C on the previous night and it was 1.9°C above normal for the place, the officials said.

Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 8.2°C against minus 8.4°C on the previous night and it was 0.6°C below normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.

In Kupwara town, he said, the mercury settled at minus 1.4°C against minus 0.8°C on the previous night and it was above 0.9°C above normal for the north Kashmir area.

Jammu recorded a low of 6.7°C against 7.1°C on the previous night. It was 1.7°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.

Banihal, he said, recorded a low of 2.2°C (above normal by 1.4°C), Batote 2.5°C (above normal by 0.4°C), Katra 6.8°C (0.2°C below normal) and Bhadarwah minus 0.4°C (0.2°C above normal).

Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 12.0°C and minus 17.6°C respectively, the official said. Drass, the second coldest place after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 24.9°C.

While Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day long harsh winter period that started on December 21 has ended, Kashmir is under the grip of a 20-day-long period called ‘Chillai-Khurd’. It will be followed by a 10-day-long period ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) which is from February 20 to March 1.

The MeT department has forecast it will be mainly dry in the next 24 hours and isolated very light rain and snow for subsequent two days. The weather department has already ruled out the possibility of any major snowfall in the next nine days. (GNS)