Cold wave conditions have persisted in the Kashmir Valley due to ongoing dry weather, which is likely to continue until January 20, officials said on Thursday.
According to the MeT office in Srinagar, “The summer capital recorded a minimum temperature of minus 3.9 degrees Celsius on Wednesday night.”
The minimum temperature at Srinagar International Airport settled at minus 5.0 degrees Celsius.
The intense cold wave has led to the freezing of several water bodies in the Valley, with night temperatures dropping several degrees below normal. The dry and cold weather conditions have led to a surge in seasonal illnesses, particularly among young children and elderly people.
Health officials have advised residents to avoid stepping out of their homes during the early morning hours, as the intense cold could trigger various chest and respiratory illnesses.
According to the MeT department, the majority of weather stations in the Kashmir Valley, including those in the north, south, and central regions, have also witnessed cold wave conditions.
The higher reaches of the Kashmir Valley continue to receive intermittent snowfall, while no major precipitation has occurred in the plains since late December, after light rainfall lashed several parts of the UT on December 21.
In the Jammu region, minimum temperatures remained above normal at most weather stations, including Jammu city, Katra, Reasi, Udhampur, and the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.
Jammu city remained the warmest place, with a minimum temperature of 4.4 degrees Celsius, while south Kashmir’s Pulwama and Shopian emerged as the coldest places, with minus 6.1 degrees Celsius.
The Kashmir Valley is currently in the middle of the harshest winter period, Chillai-Kalan, a 40-day cold spell typically accompanied by heavy snowfall.
However, the deficit in rain and snowfall in the plains has caused uncertainty among the farming community in the region.
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