Cold weather in Kashmir as country reels under heat wave

Srinagar, Jun 3 (UNI) Persistent western disturbances over Kashmir have significantly brought down the temperatures in the Valley during the past few days, weather office said today.

Indian Meteorological Department (IMD-Jammu and Kashmir) Director N P Bhatnagar told UNI that the frequency of western disturbances over the Kashmir valley has increased in the recent past.

''This condition results in rains in the evenings which subsequently lowers the temperatures in Kashmir,'' he added.

Mr Bhatnagar said the westerlies get trapped in the high mountains of the Kashmir valley and take some time to move.

''This weather condition will continue for few more days till the western disturbances precipitate and move out of the Kashmir valley,'' he added.

The maximum temperature in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir today was recorded at 23.4 degrees Celsius, about four degrees below normal. The minimum stood at 12 degrees Celsius.

The famed tourist resort of Pahalgam witnessed maximum temperature of 19.6 degrees Celsius while the minimum was recorded at 5.4 degrees Celsius, well below the normal.

In Jammu, the maximum temperature stood at 37.3 degrees Celsius and the minimum at 25.7 degrees Celsius.

Intermittent rains in the evening further lowered the temperature in the Kashmir valley.

Tourists were seen enjoying the prevailing weather conditions in the Kashmir valley as almost the entire country was reeling under intense heat wave. Most of them were seen wearing woolens and jackets to brave the cold.

UNI