Cold wave intensify in Kashmir, Srinagar gets some respite
Srinagar, Jan 13 (PTI) Srinagar city, the summercapital of Jammu and Kashmir, got relief from the freezingtemperatures but the cold wave intensified in other parts ofKashmir division, including Leh town, where the mercuryplunged to minus 20.4 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature recorded in Srinagar roseabove the freezing point for the first time this winter andsettled at 1.6 degrees C, a MeT department official said.
The minimum temperature, which went as low as minussix degrees Celsius at the beginning of Chillai Kalan onDecember 21, was two degrees above normal for this time of theyear.
However, other parts of Kashmir division, whichincludes Leh and Kargil districts, were freezing undersub-zero temperatures.
The minimum temperature in Leh, which was the coldestplace in the state last night, fell by 3.3 degrees C ascompared to minus 17.1 degrees Celsius yesterday.
Kargil town recorded a minimum of minus 15.4 degreesCelsius, the official said.
Gulmarg, a skiing resort in north Kashmir, recorded alow of minus 8.5 degrees Celsius.
The famous hill resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmirrecorded the minimum of minus 3.2 deg C, down 0.7 degrees.
The minimum temperature in Kupwara district in northKashmir fell by 3.6 degrees and settled at minus 1.9 dgrees Ccompared to yesterday''s 1.7 degrees Celsius.
The night temperature at Qazigund, the gateway town toKashmir, was minus 2.6 degrees C and the minimum temperaturerecorded in Kokernag town in south Kashmir''s Anantnag districtwas minus 1.1 degrees C.
The Kashmir Valley is in the grip of an intense coldwave as it witnesses forty days of harsh winter, locallycalled ''Chillai Kalaan''.