Kashmir continued to reel under cold wave condition on Thursday.
Officials said the minimum temperature across the Valley showed a marginal improvement on Wednesday night but the cold wave continued to cause inconvenience with many people complaining of frozen taps and broken water supply pipes on Thursday morning due to frost.
Officials said in summer capital Srinagar, minimum temperature improved to settle at minus 2.7°C, up by one degree Celsius from last night but minus 0.6°C below normal for this time of the year.
Kashmir is presently reeling under the 40-day long harshest period of winter known locally as ‘Chillai Kalan, which started from December 21. It is followed by a 20-day long ‘Chillai Khurd’ and a 10-day-long ‘Chilla Bachha’.
Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 9.4°C against minus 11.6°C last night, he said. Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 5.8°C against minus 5.3°C on the previous night, he said.
Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 6.1°C against minus 7.2°C on the previous night, the official said. Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 2.5°C against minus 5.5°C on the previous night, the official said.
Jammu recorded a low of 5.5°C against previous night’s 5.8°C which is minus 1.5°C below normal for the J&K’s winter capital during this time of the year, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of minus 1.0°C, Katra 5.5°C and Bhaderwah saw a minimum of minus 2.7°C, the official said. Ladakh’s Leh recorded a low of minus 15.5°C against last night’s minus 13.9°C while mercury at automatic station in Kargil settled at minus 16.9°C. Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 21.9°C against last night’s minus 21.9°C, official said.
The weatherman has forecast dry weather at most places in Jammu and Kashmir till January 16.