Srinagar: As an intense cold wave swept across Kashmir, the minimum temperatures on Monday remained several notches below the freezing point, signaling the onset of the harsh winter season.
According to a statement from the Meteorological (MeT) department, Srinagar city recorded a minimum temperature of minus 2.3 degrees Celsius. In the picturesque locales of Gulmarg and Pahalgam, the temperatures dipped to minus 2.6 and 4.3 degrees Celsius, respectively.
In the Ladakh region, Leh town experienced a bone-chilling minus 6.7 degrees Celsius, while Kargil recorded an even lower temperature of minus 8.1 degrees Celsius as the lowest for the night.
Moving to the Jammu region, the minimum temperatures were comparatively milder. Jammu city recorded 7.3 degrees Celsius, Katra 8.1 degrees Celsius, Batote 5.9 degrees Celsius, Bhaderwah 2.4 degrees Celsius, and Banihal 6.2 degrees Celsius.
The current weather conditions mark the beginning of the 40-day long period known locally as ‘Chillai Kalan,’ a phase characterized by severe winter cold. This period commenced on December 21 and is anticipated to persist until January 30. Residents and authorities are bracing for the challenges posed by the biting cold during this winter stretch.
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