Intense Cold Wave Grips Kashmir

Srinagar: Residents of Kashmir woke up to frozen water bodies and taps on Monday as the valley remained in the grip of severe cold wave with the minimum temperature settling several degrees below the freezing point, officials said here.

Many waterbodies including waterfalls, lakes and streams have frozen across the valley due to extreme cold wave conditions over the past week, the officials said.

They said the fringes in the interior of famous Dal Lake have also frozen while city residents were facing problems due to frozen drinking water pipes.

Srinagar recorded a low of minus 5.8 degrees Celsius on Sunday night, slightly up from minus 6 degrees recorded the previous night, which was the lowest minimum temperature of the season so far in the city.

The minimum was 4.3 degrees below the normal for this part of the season.

Gulmarg resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district recorded a low of minus 5.5 degrees Celsius.

The officials said Pahalgam, which serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath yatra, recorded a low of minus 7.4 degrees Celsius.

The resort was the coldest recorded place in the valley.

The minimum in Kupwara in north Kashmir settled at a low of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius.

Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, recorded minus 6 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag also recorded a low of minus 5.9 degrees Celsius.

The weather office has forecast colder nights over the next couple of days as further fall in the minimum temperature is expected.

There is also a possibility of light to moderate snowfall is most places from December 22-25.