Cloudy conditions prevail but night temperatures rise across Kashmir

By: Musaib  Iqbal MK

Srinagar

Although cloudy conditions are prevailing in Kashmir valley, the night temperatures have started rising though the MeT department has reported sub zero night temperatures from Pahalgam and Gulmarg.

The overall atmosphere is limping towards the spring season especially in this month of March as the green cover has started sprouting across especially in the gardens and parks.

The J & K Tourism Department has already said that they are going to start the celebrations of spring from March to the month of May and the biggest carnival of this season would be the opening of the Tulip Garden on the banks of Dal Lake which is Asia’s biggest Tulip Gardens.

A meteorological department official told GNS that Srinagar, the summer capital of J&K, recorded a rise by 1.4°C with mercury settling at minus 4.8°C against last night’s 3.4°C.

Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, recorded a low of 2.0°C against minus 1.2 on the previous night, he said.

Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, had a low of 1.4°C against minus 0.5°C on the previous night, the official said.

Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 0.8°C against minus 3.5°C last night, he said.

Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 5.4°C against minus 4.5°C on the previous night, he said.

The temperature was 0.9°C below normal for this time of the year in the famous resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.

Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a low of 3.5°C against 3.3°C on the previous night, the official said.

Jammu recorded a low of 11.1°C against 12.3°C on the previous night, the official said. The temperature was 1.2°C below normal for the J&K’s winter capital during this time of the year, he said.

Banihal recorded a low of 1.6°C, Batote had a minimum of 2.4°C while Bhaderwah recorded a low of 1.2°C, the official said.

Ladakh’s Leh recorded a minimum of minus 6.4°C against last night minus 7.2°C on the previous night while automatic Kargil station at recorded a low of minus 10.0°C. Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 17.8°C against 14.7°C on the previous night, officials said.

There is a forecast for “isolated to scattered light rain/snow/TS”. He however said there’s no forecast of any “significant weather” till March 5.

With GNS inputs