Amidst harshest ‘Chila-i- Kalan’ cold wave conditions continued across Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday as most places in the Kashmir Valley recorded sub-zero minimum temperatures, while Ladakh witnessed intense cold with Leh and Hanle plunging to minus 11.4 degrees Celsius. Parts of the famous Dal Lake and several water bodies in Kashmir froze on Wednesday as sub-zero minimum temperatures across the Valley dropped further.
‘Chilla-i-Kalan’ is the 40-day period of extreme cold, when the chances of snowfall are the highest. It began on December 21 and will end on January 30. Srinagar recorded a low of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius on Tuesday night, down from the minus 4.9 degrees Celsius recorded the previous night, weather department officials said.
Shopian in south Kashmir was the coldest place in the Valley, where the mercury settled at minus 7.5 degrees Celsius.followed by Pulwama at minus 7.0 degrees and Sopore at minus 6.9 degrees Celsius. Anantnag registered a minimum temperature of minus 6.6 degrees, while Awantipora recorded minus 6.4 degrees Celsius.
Qazigund recorded minus 5.3 degrees, Pampore minus 5.0 degrees, and Budgam minus 5.4 degrees Celsius.Other parts of the Valley also experienced biting cold, with Kupwara recording minus 6.2 degrees, Pahalgam minus 6.0 degrees, Beerwah in Budgam minus 6.1 degrees, and Zethan Rafiabad minus 5.9 degrees Celsius.Gulmarg, the ski resort in north Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 3.8 degrees, while Sonamarg registered minus 2.2 degrees Celsius. Baramulla recorded a comparatively higher minimum of minus 1.8 degrees Celsius.
The India Meteorological Department has said a western disturbance is approaching Kashmir and is likely to affect the Valley’s weather from January 16In the Jammu region, night temperatures remained above the freezing point at most places. Jammu city recorded a minimum temperature of 4.0 degrees Celsius, while Jammu Airport logged 4.8 degrees.Banihal recorded 5.3 degrees, Batote 4.5 degrees, Katra 5.5 degrees, and Kathua 4.2 degrees Celsius.Bhaderwah recorded a low of 0.5 degrees Celsius, Udhampur 1.0 degree, Ramban 2.8 degrees, Samba 1.5 degrees, and Reasi 2.6 degrees. Rajouri was the coldest in the Jammu region, recording a sub-zero temperature of minus 0.6 degrees Celsius.
In Ladakh, severe cold conditions prevailed as Leh and Hanle recorded identical minimum temperatures of minus 11.4 degrees Celsius. Nubra Valley recorded minus 10.4 degrees, while Kargil recorded a low of minus 10.0 degrees Celsius. Meteorological officials said the cold conditions are likely to persist, especially in the higher reaches, as winter continues to tighten its grip on the region
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