Srinagar experiences coldest night of season; temperature plummets to minus 6.4 Celsius

Srinagar experienced the coldest night of the season on Thursday as the Valley reeled under cold conditions with the mercury plummeting to a bone-chilling minus 6.4 degrees Celsius, MeT officials said.

“This was the coldest night of the season so far in the city and the lowest minimum temperatures in the last 10 years in December,” they added.

As per the Meteorological department here the mercury dipped to minus 6.4 degrees Celsius in Srinagar on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday from minus 4.8 degrees Celsius on the previous night. The lowest minimum temperatures in the last 10 years in December were minus 6.5 degrees Celsius on December 21, 2016, and minus 7.7 degrees Celsius on December 25, 2018. The lowest ever recorded temperature in December in Srinagar has been minus 12.6 degrees on December 13, 1964.

Meanwhile, the famous Dal Lake was partially frozen, as people woke up this morning when the Shikarawalas were facing difficulty to move through the frozen parts of the waterbody. Water taps and other water bodies, including nallahs and drains, were partially frozen in the city.

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However, as the day progressed, the frozen water again melted after the sun came out, resulting in some improvement in the day temperature though ice cold winds continued.

Electricity supply has also reduced due to the cold wave as the glacial discharge in the rivers, which fuels power generation projects, has decreased, resulting in unscheduled power cuts for long hours becoming a daily routine here.

The early setting in of the cold wave has raised concerns among the residents that Chillai Kalan will be even harsher. The 40-day period of harsh weather (Chillai Kalan) will begin from 21 Dec. During this period, it is said earth goes dead; air and water are the coldest.

Traditional warm gowns or pherans made of wool have become a common sight in the Kashmir Valley these days.
Shops selling “Harisa” (prepared by meat during winter only) witness rush of customers despite bone chilly weather.

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(With PTI image and inputs)