The Kashmir and Ladakh valleys, including Srinagar, are in the grip of an intense cold wave, with many areas recording their lowest temperatures of the season. In Srinagar, the temperature dipped to minus 5.4°C, causing the outer banks of Dal Lake and several other water bodies to freeze over. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a further drop in temperatures over the next few days, with severe cold wave conditions expected to persist.
According to the IMD Kashmir, Srinagar experienced the coldest night of the season, with the temperature plummeting to minus 5.4°C. The cold wave has had a significant impact on the region, with several areas witnessing sub-zero temperatures. Sonamarg, a popular tourist destination, recorded the coldest temperature in the Srinagar district at minus 9.7°C, while Gulmarg, renowned for its ski resorts, followed closely with minus 9.0°C. Other parts of Kashmir were also hit hard by the freezing temperatures, with Pahalgam registering minus 8.4°C, Shopian at minus 8.5°C, and Qazigund recording minus 6.4°C.
Ladakh, which is generally colder than Kashmir, saw even more extreme temperatures. Leh recorded minus 13.2°C, Kargil saw minus 12.4°C, and Drass, known for being one of the coldest places in India, reported a bone-chilling minus 16.8°C. Zojila, a high-altitude pass, marked the coldest temperature in the country, with the mercury dipping to minus 21.0°C.
The IMD has warned that severe cold wave conditions will continue to grip Kashmir and Ladakh over the next few days. However, the weather department has also forecast some relief in the form of snowfall, which is expected from December 12 to December 13. The impending snowfall is anticipated to provide a temporary respite from the intense cold.
As the region braces for even colder temperatures, the IMD’s Kashmir Valley department has predicted that the winter will be harsher than usual this year due to a La Niña effect. This phenomenon, caused by colder-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, is expected to intensify the cold and increase rainfall and snowfall in the valley. The La Niña effect is forecast to prolong the winter season, with severe temperatures and heavy precipitation expected in the coming weeks.
The cold wave is expected to peak during the ‘Chillai Kalan,’ the coldest period in Kashmir, which lasts for 40 days beginning on December 21. During this time, temperatures in the valley are expected to plunge further, and the region could experience heavier snowfall, intensifying the winter conditions across Kashmir and Ladakh.
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