Mercury Plunges Further In Kashmir, Ladakh; Pahalgam Records Minus 5.6°C, Srinagar Minus 3.0°C

Srinagar, Dec 7: Severe freezing weather conditions showed no signs of relenting as night temperature recorded a further drop in Kashmir as well as Ladakh on Wednesday with Pahalgam recording minus 5.6°C.

A meteorological department official here told GNS mercury dropped in Pahalgam from last night’s 3.8°C by nearly 2°C and it was 2.4°C below normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

Srinagar, he said, recorded a minimum of minus 3.0°C against minus 2.2°C on the previous night. So far the coldest night at minus 3.4°C this season in the summer capital was recorded on December 5.

Having remained engulfed in mist this morning, the MeT official said, today’s temperature was 2.4°C below the normal for this time of the year in Srinagar.

Qazigund recorded a low of minus 3.6°C against minus 2.2°C on the previous night. The temperature was 2.8°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, he said.

Kokernag recorded a low of minus 1.9°C against minus 0.8°C on the previous night and it was 1.2°C below normal for the place, he said.

Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 4.0°C against minus 3.5°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 0.3°C below normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the official said.

In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 3.1°C against 2.7°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 1.3°C below normal for the north Kashmir place, he said.

Jammu recorded a low of 6.9°C against 7.3°C on the previous night. It was 3.1°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said. Banihal recorded a low of minus 0.7°C (below normal by 2.8°C), Batote 2.6°C (1.4°C below normal), Katra 7.6°C (1.0°C below normal) and Bhadarwah 0.9°C (0.4°C below normal).

In Ladakh, Leh recorded minus 11.0°C, Kargil minus 11.6°C and details regarding mercury in Drass, the world’s second coldest place after Siberia, were not immediately available, the official said.

The MeT department has already forecast light to moderate snowfall in Kashmir from the evening of December 9 to 10.

“A fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect J&K and adjoining areas from December 9. Under the influence of the system, there is a possibility of light snow over plains and lower reaches, light to moderate snow over middle and higher reaches during 9th December (evening) to 10th December (evening) particularly over north, northwestern, central parts of Kashmir and South Kashmir,” the MeT official said, adding, “Light rain was expected at isolated to scattered places of Jammu.” (GNS)