Kashmir continues to shiver due to biting cold

Kashmir continues to shiver due to biting cold with the minimum temperature across the valley dropping several degrees below the freezing point, resulting in frozen water supply lines in several areas.

A MeT department official said Srinagar recorded a low of minus 2.8 degrees Celsius against previous night’s 4.6 degrees.

Mercury in the tourist resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir, which serves as a base camp during the annual Amarnath yatra, plummeted to a minimum of minus 8.4 degrees Celsius, against the previous night’s minus 7.7 degrees while minimum temperature in the ski resort of north Kashmir’s Gulmarg settled at minus 4.0 degrees Celsius against previous night’s minus 7.6 degrees, he said.

Kargil town in the Ladakh region recorded a bone-chilling minus 14.9 degrees Celsius while in nearby Leh town, the minimum temperature settled at minus 6.0 degrees.

The MeT department has forecast that weather would continue to be dry and cold especially in the plains and there will be no change over the next few days. The free fall of mercury in the Valley and Ladakh region was worrisome for people as the traditional 40-day period of extreme cold that is known as the 'Chillai Kalan' is still two days away.