JAMMU: A man stands in an icy area of the Jammu and Kashmir National Highway near Patnitop Hill resort, about 115 km from Jammu, Thursday, January 6, 2022.
In Jammu and Kashmir, Gulmarg and Pahalgam recorded several notches below the freezing point at minus 11.5 and 11.6 degrees Celsius, respectively. According to officials, Pahalgam and Gulmarg are recording record minimum temperatures this winter.
Pahalgam in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra. Gulmarg is a famous skiing resort in Baramulla district.
This was the lowest minimum temperature this year in the Valley, officials said. This was the fourth consecutive night when the minimum temperature dropped to minus 10 degrees Celsius or below.
Srinagar also recorded a minuscule temperature last night and the mercury settled at minus 3.6 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature in the city was recorded at 0.2 degree Celsius last night.
Leh in neighboring Ladakh recorded a minimum temperature of minus 13.9 degrees Celsius. The mercury at the automatic station in Kargil recorded minus 14.7 degrees Celsius. Drass, the world’s second coldest place after Siberia, recorded a minimum temperature of minus 27.2 degrees Celsius.
According to the Meteorological Department, the weather is likely to remain predominantly dry over the next few days in the Valley, which is currently in the grip of the harshest winter period of 40 days, known as ‘Chilla-e-Kalan’. which started on 21st December. ‘Chilla-e-Kalan’ is a time when a cold wave grips the region and the temperature drops significantly, freezing water supply lines in many parts along with water bodies including the famous Dal Lake . ‘Chilla-e-Kalan’ will end on January 31, but even after that, 20 days long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (little cold) and 10 days long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) in Kashmir.
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