The Kashmir Valley continues to reel under an intense cold wave as minimum temperatures across most weather stations remained below the freezing point on Saturday, officials said.
According to the MeT office in Srinagar, “The summer capital recorded a minimum temperature of minus 5.9 degrees Celsius on Friday night, compared to minus 6.0 degrees Celsius recorded the previous night.”
The bone-chilling cold conditions have led to the freezing of several water bodies, including the famous Dal Lake in Srinagar.
Earlier, on Thursday, Srinagar recorded the season’s coldest night, with minimum temperatures plunging to minus 6.0 degrees Celsius, which is 4.2 degrees below the seasonal normal.
Several weather stations in the Kashmir Valley, including those in the north, south and central regions, are experiencing intensified cold wave conditions after the higher reaches of the Kashmir Valley continued to receive fresh snowfall.
Amid the prevailing weather conditions, cases of seasonal illness among youth and the elderly have sharply risen across the Valley.
Doctors have advised people to keep warm and avoid unnecessary early morning travel. In the Jammu region, however, temperatures remained above the freezing point at most weather stations.
Katra district in the Jammu remained the warmest place, recording a minimum temperature of 5.3 degrees Celsius, while Pahalgam emerged as the coldest, with minus 7.8 degrees Celsius.
The Valley’s main tourist attractions, Gulmarg, Sonmarg, and Pahalgam, are witnessing a massive rush of tourists following the recent snowfall. The Kashmir Valley is in the middle of the harshest winter period, Chillai-Kalan, a 40-day cold spell typically accompanied by major snowfall.
However, the deficit in rain and snowfall in the plains has caused uncertainties among the farming community in the region.
During this period, the Kashmir Valley usually receives heavy snowfall, which replenishes the agricultural land, particularly the horticulture and saffron fields.
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