Minus 15 in Pahalgam, day warm and night remain cold in Srinagar

Srinagar, Jan 27 (UNI) Pahalgam, the most attractive tourist destination and base camp for Amarnath cave in south Kashmir, was the coldest place in the valley after the minimum dipped to minus 15 degrees Celsius this morning.

Meanwhile, it was a warm day with one degree above normal temperature after witnessing minus 3.6 degrees, about three degrees below normal, freezing water and nullahs.

A weather office spokesman told UNI that Pahalgam recorded minus 15 degrees this morning. However, the day temperature was 3 degrees in the tourist resort after sun came behind the clouds.

Official sources said the self made ice shivlingam in the Amarnath was fully formed because of more than 10 - 15 feet snowfall in the cave periphery. The ice-lingam would survive for a longer period this time as the snow had totally freezed. For the past two years, the ice-lingam had melted before the start of the annual yatra because of high temperature and less snowfall in the periphery. Water level in the river Lidder has also come down owing to the snow on the upper reaches had freezed.

He said the maximum temperature in the city was 5 degrees, one degree above normal. However, the night remained cold after the temperature was minus 3.6 degrees, three degree below normal.

Water supply in number of areas was affected after taps were frozen. However, frozen taps melted as the day progressed.

Weather in Kargil, Leh and Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, also remained cold with minimum and maximum still below freezing point.

UNI BAS QAB SB BD1825