SRINAGAR: Despite a fresh Western Disturbance (WD) hitting the region, there was considerable increase in the night temperature in the Kashmir valley and Ladakh, where the icy cold winds continued, resulting in cold during the day.
A Met department spokesman said here this afternoon that moderate to heavy rain or snow would occur at most place over the Jammu and Kashmir during the next 24 hours.
As the WD, originating in Arabian sea and entering the region through Afghanistan and Pakistan, has hit the state, there would be decrease in precipitation during subsequent two days, he said.
He said as the sky remained cloudy during the night because the WD was active, the minimum temperature witnessed considerable increase in the valley and Ladakh region.
However, the day temperature will drop further by some degrees, he said, adding that moderate to heavy rain or snow would occur in the summer capital, Srinagar where the maximum will be about five degrees below normal while the minimum will be two degrees above normal during the next 24 hours.
There was major improvement in the minimum temperature in the Ladakh region, which remained cut off from the rest of the state due to closure of 434-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway following more than ten feet of snow accumualted at Zojila pass.
Against yesterday’s minus 14.2 degree minimum temperature at Kargil, a border town in Ladakh region, it was just minus 2.6 degrees, witnessing improvement of about 12 notches. Similarly. at Leh the minimum was minus 2.8 degrees against yesterday’s minus 4.6 degrees, he said.
Similarly at Srinagar the minimum temperature was recorded 4.4 degrees, more than three degrees above normal. However, people woke up to cloudy and cold morning in the city and its outskirts as sun remained behind the dark a clouds with light rain.
Pahalgam, base camp of Holy Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, recorded 0.4 degree minimum temperature, five degree above normal. However, people and tourists besides skiers, continued to shiver at famed ski resort of Gulmarg where the minimum temperature remained below freezing points.
The Met spokesman said the temperature was minus 5 degrees, one degree above normal at the ski resort. The night temperature remained above normal in other parts of the valley, including border district of Kupwara, Kokernag and Qazigund, gateway of Kashmir.
