| Srinagar freezes at minus 4.5 degree, Leh coldest at minus 11.5 degree | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Dec 10 The summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar, recorded coldest night of the season after the minimum temperature witnessed a considerable drop and settled at minus 4.5 degree, again freezing parts of the world famous Dal Lake besides taps and other water bodies.
Leh in Ladakh region also froze at minus 11.5 degree, also coldest of the winter so far. However, a Met department spokesman said that afternoon that a Western Disturbance (WD) is approaching the region which could result in light rain or snow in the Jammu and Kashmir during the next 24 hours.
Isolated rain or snow is also predicted during the subsequent 48 hours in the state, where dry weather during the past more than four months has resulted in considerable chill during the night though the day temperature was near or above normal.
Major parts of the Dal Lake in the heart of city, major tourist attraction round the year, were again frozen this morning as Srinagar recorded coldest night of the season at minus 4.5 degree, five notches below normal. Interestingly world famous ski resort of Gulmarg and famed health resort of Pahalgam were warmer than Srinagar. The earlier lowest was minus 3.7 degree recorded on December 8 in Srinagar. A correspondent who visited the Lake this morning saw Shikarawalas breaking ice in the frozen areas to move forward at several places, including Mir Mohalla and other interior areas.
At banks of the Lake, water has again frozen. However, as the day progressed, the frozen parts have started to melt as sun was playing hide and seek. The frozen area in the interior of the Lake has become stronger and people were throwing stones on the surface. Water taps were also frozen, particularly in the outskirts, affecting water supply in many houses. People had covered their taps, exposed to direct icy cold winds, with cloths, dry paddy grass and other material to save them from getting frozen and damaged. Even though there is three day relaxation in separatist strike from today, people preferred to remain indoor in the morning till there was some improvement in the weather. The Met spokesman said there is possibility of light rain or snow and maximum and minimum temperature would be around 9 degree and minus 3 degree respectively during the next 24 hours. Kupwara, the frontier district in north Kashmir, also recorded coldest night of the winter so far after the minimum dropped and settled at minus 5.1 degree, freezing majority of the water bodies and taps. However, despite harsh weather and other odds, troops remained deployed on the Line of Control (LoC) to foil any infiltration bid from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) as higher reaches were still open because of very less snowfall this winter so far. Qazigund, gateway of Kashmir, on Srinagar-Jammu national highway also recorded coldest night of the winter so far after mercury dropped and settled at minus 3.2 degree. At some places truckers were struggling to start their vehicles as diesel had frozen due to cold. Gulmarg, famed ski resort, about 55 km from here in north Kashmir, was relatively warmer as sky remained cloudy during the night. The minimum temperature there was minus 1, two notches above normal. Pahalgam, about 100 km from here in south Kashmir, recorded minus 3 degree which is considered normal during this period of the winter. Kokernag, a tourist resort in south Kashmir recorded minus 2 degree, the Met spokesman said. People continued to freeze at minus 11.9 degree at Leh, where majority of the water bodies remained frozen. He said there is possibility of light rain and snow and the maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 11 degree and minus 10 degree respectively during the next 24 hours at Leh.The minimum temperature at border town of Kargil on Srinagar-Leh national highway was minus 8.2 degree. |
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