Night remain hot, cold during day in Kashmir due to snowfall

Srinagar, Sep 23 (UNI) Despite snowfall on upper reaches and rains in the plains, night in the Kashmir valley remained hot while the day was cold with icy cold winds sweeping the entire region forcing people to wear woollens.

A spokesman of the Meteorological Department (MD) told UNI that minimum temperature was recorded at 12.8 degrees Celsius, two degrees above normal in the summer capital of the state.

However, the snowfall on upper reaches and 4.7 mm rainfall in the valley, resulted in unprecedented drop in the maximum temperature.

The maximum temperature at 1430 hours was recorded at 19.4 degrees which is eight degrees below normal, forcing people to wear woollen cloths.

A large number of people were seen purchasing woollen and other warm cloths from Sunday market at Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the city, and other areas and major towns since early this morning.

The MD has forecast heavy rains during the next 48 hours in the plains and snowfall on the upper reaches.

The change in the weather conditions are associated with the climatic change in neighbouring Pakistan and Afghanistan, he said adding that there was nothing unusual in it.

The entire upper region in the Kashmir valley experienced snowfall while plains, including the summer capital, had rains during the past 24 hours, resulting in considerable drop in the temperature Affarwat and other upper reaches in the world famous ski resort experienced snowfall while Gulmarg and Kongdori had rains, resulting in cold.

Reports of snowfall were also received from the higher reaches in Sonamarg and Zojila, on the Srinagar- Drass, the world's coldest place after Siberia.

Holy Amarnath cave shrine and its immediate periphery, besides Sheshnag, Mahaguns, Pisso top and Panjtherni also had snowfall.

The summer capital Srinagar and its adjoining areas had rains since early this morning resulting in cold, forcing people to wear woolen.

The drop in the temperature was witnessed after hot and humid weather during the past one week, forcing people to switch on fans again.

According to official figures, Srinagar recorded deficit rainfall during monsoon this summer as against an average 175 mm rainfall, the summer capital has recorded 161 mm rainfall since June first.

The official record of the past 10 to 12 years suggest an increase in the temperature because of global warming.

On June 23, 1990, the maximum temperature in Srinagar was recorded at 36.0 degrees while it was 36.5 degrees on June 24 last year weather records said.

It said the highest ever maximum temperature recorded in the state's summer capital during the past 80 years was 37.8 degrees on June 29, 1978.

UNI