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Srinagar records lowest temperature of season

FARZANA SYED. Dated: 12/5/2017 1:37:34 PM

Dry spell to continue till Thursday: Met

SRINAGAR, Dec 4: As dry weather conditions continue to prevail in Kashmir valley, the cold wave intensified across Kashmir on Monday with mercury plunging several notches below freezing point at several places, including the capital Srinagar.
Cold wave escalated in Kashmir on Monday as the night temperature dropped to lowest of this season at many places in the valley including Srinagar.
The officials at metrological department revealed that several places including Srinagar recorded the coldest night of this winter season so far on Sunday as the night temperature settled at minus 3.7 degrees Celsius.
The officials said that the continued decline in the night temperature was the result of prevailing dry weather conditions with persistent clear skies in night and sunny weather in day.
The Met officials revealed that places in Ladakh division also continued to shiver below freezing point. They said Leh town recorded a low of minus 12 degrees Celsius on Sunday.
The spokesperson at Met department said that night temperature settled several degrees below freezing point at many other places in Kashmir on Sunday.
“In south Kashmir the tourist spot of Pahalgam witnessed a low of minus 4.1 degrees Celsius while as the night temperature in ski resort of Gulmarg settled at minus 3 degrees Celsius on Sunday night,” Met official said.
The Met department attributed the dipping temperature to the persistent dry weather conditions that have remained prevalent in Kashmir for past several months.
Though Kashmir valley witnessed a slight precipitation a couple of weeks before, that did not provide any respite from the dry weather.
According to the officials at Met department, the prolonged dry weather conditions have been witnessed in Kashmir valley for past few years.
“This is not for the first time that dry weather has prolonged in valley or little rainfall has been recorded, Kashmir has witnessed such weather conditions in past few years also. Particularly with the onset of the winter season, there is a decline in the precipitation for a prolonged time,” Director Met department Sonam Lotus said.
Pertinently the valley has not received any proper rainfall since the month of August this year. The dry weather conditions have not only taken a toll on the health of the people but also resulted in shortage of water in major water bodies of valley.
Meanwhile, the Met department revealed that weather was likely to remain dry in J&K state during next 24 hours. The officials said that there was a possibility of a change in weather from Dec 7 onwards.
"We are expecting a Western disturbance likely to hit the state from Dec 7 which may result in rain/snow at isolated places in the state. However the weather is likely to remain dry during next 24 hours across the state. The skies will remain clear while days are likely to remain sunny which may further result in drop in night temperature," Met spokesperson said.