Srinagar: The intense cold wave conditions continued unabated in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday as the minimum temperature stayed several degrees below the freezing point. The MeT department has, however, forecast light to moderate snowfall likely to occur in plains of Kashmir from today evening.
Srinagar city – the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir – recorded a low of minus 7 degrees, up from minus 6 degrees Celsius the previous night, a MeT official said.
The minimum temperature in the city last night was nearly five degrees below the normal for this time of the year, he said.
The Gulmarg skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district recorded minus 7.8 degrees Celsius last night, down from minus 6.5 degrees Celsius the night earlier.
Pahalgam tourist resort, which also serves as a base camp for the annual Amarnath yatra in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 9.3 degrees Celsius – down from the previous night’s minus 8.3 degrees Celsius, the meteorological department said.
Qazigund – the gateway town to the Valley – recorded a minimum of 8.8 degrees Celsius, it said.
Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 5.9 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag recorded minus 6.9 degrees Celsius.
The MeT department has forecast that a Western Disturbance will affect the Union territory for a few days from today, Deputy Director Meteorological department (MeT), Mukhtar Ahmad said adding that light to moderate snowfall is likely to occur in plains of Kashmir from Friday evening.
He said that there is a possibility of moderate to heavy snowfall in the higher reaches of Shopian, Doda and other adjacent districts. “As per the forecast, the plains in Kashmir would receive light to moderate snowfall from Friday evening while the rains with thunderstorm would occur in Jammu region from tomorrow evening as well,” he said. (With inputs from KNO, PTI)
