Srinagar records coldest night in 16 years

•    Gulmarg freezes at -15.2, Qazigund -13.6, Kokernag -13
•    People advised to avoid travel on highway on Jan 15-16
•    If weather permits, goods vehicles to ply from Jmu to Sgr

The night temperature in Srinagar dipped to - 7.8 degrees Celsius, the lowest ever during the last 16 years as an intense cold wave swept across the Valley.

"The minimum temperature dipped to - 7.8 degrees Celsius in Srinagar city last night.

This is the lowest ever for the last 16 years. In 1995, the lowest recorded for the season in Srinagar was - 8.2 degrees," a weather department official said.

He said the lowest ever temperature in Srinagar has been - 14.2 degrees that was recorded on January 31, 1893.

He said Gulmarg skiing resort in North Kashmir recorded a minimum temperature of - 15.2 degrees Celsius.

 “Qazigund was freezing at - 13.6 degrees Celsius, making it the second coldest place in the Valley after Gulmarg. Kokernag in south Kashmir also recorded extreme sub-zero temperature with mercury settling at - 13.0 degrees Celsius followed by Pahalgam at - 12.2 degrees Celsius,” he said.

The official said Kargil in Ladakh region was shivering at - 17.2 degrees Ceslius. “Kargil had yesterday recorded its coldest night of this winter at - 19.6 degrees Celsius. Leh town, also in Ladakh region, recorded a minimum temperature of - 13.6 degrees Celsius,” he said.

The weather official said an approaching Western Disturbance would bring moderate snowfall in Srinagar and other places of the valley on Sunday and day after.

Meanwhile, Disaster Management Kashmir has advised general public to defer road travel on Srinagar-Jammu highway between January 15 and 16 in view of expected snowfall.

The extreme chill across the Valley has resulted in immense hardships to the residents with water freezing in supply lines. The famous Dal Lake and other water bodies have partially frozen.

People are facing difficulty in starting their vehicles early in the morning due to the intense cold wave.

The Kashmir is going through 'chillai kalan', the forty-day period of extremely harsh winter which began on December 21.

Meanwhile, Traffic police has advised passengers not to venture on Srinagar-Jammu highway as weatherman has predicted fresh snowfall during next 48 hours.

According to IGP Traffic, H K Lohia, no vehicle will be allowed to move from Srinagar towards Jammu and only in case of grave emergency, passenger vehicles from Jammu will be allowed to Valley if they cross Nagrota by 6:30 am.

He said subject to weather conditions, trucks carrying essential stock will be allowed to move to Srinagar.

“Only in case of emergency, people should plan travel on highway, ” Lohia said.

In an overnight clearance operation, authorities cleared some 1700 stranded vehicles on highway. Besides, some 2300 Jammu-bound vehicles from Srinagar crossed Kud by 7 pm this evening.

The highway, the only surface link with Kashmir, was closed from January 5 to eight due to heavy snowfall.

Rising Kashmir News

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