Srinagar records season’s coldest night, minus 2.8 degrees Celsius
Srinagar: Srinagar city in Jammu and Kashmir recorded the coldest night of the season so far, with the minimum temperature dropping to minus 2.8 degrees Celsius, while Jammu recorded the lowest night temperature of 10.1 degrees Celsius.
Meteorological department officials said the minimum temperature in Srinagar dropped to minus 2.8 degrees Celsius.
“Srinagar city today recorded the coldest night of the season so far at minus 2.8 degrees Celsius, while Pahalgam recorded a minimum temperature of minus 3.5 and Gulmarg recorded zero. The minimum temperature in Jammu city today was 10.1, Katra city 9.8, Batote 4.5, Banihal minus 0.5 and Bhaderwah 0.5,” officials said.
Officials also predicted that there will be no significant change in the weather in Jammu and Kashmir until December 2, and the minimum temperature is likely to drop further in the coming days.
The winter chill has already set in, so authorities have announced a winter vacation for children from December 1st to 8th grade.
People can be seen wearing woolen clothes and wrapping thick mufflers around their necks to protect themselves from the cold winds blowing into the Kashmir Valley from the snow-capped mountains.
The most popular winter attire, a tweed overgarment called a ‘pheran,’ is the best way for Kashmiris to escape the winter cold.
An earthen brazier woven into a willow wicker basket, called a ‘kangri,’ is filled with charcoal and placed under a loose-fitting pheran to ward off the cold.
The 40-day harsh winter, ‘Chillai Kalan,’ begins every year on December 21st and ends on January 30th.
During this period, most of the water in the valley freezes as temperatures drop to between minus 5 and minus 7 degrees Celsius. In cities and urban areas, people have to light small fires around water taps during Chillai Kalan to prevent the water from freezing.
Dense morning fog makes roads and lanes slippery, making it difficult for pedestrians and vehicles to move.
Doctors have warned people, especially children and the elderly, to avoid direct exposure to cold air, as this is a major cause of lung-related diseases during the winter months.
People have been advised to cover their faces with a woolen muffler or thick cloth in the morning to prevent cold air from entering their lungs.
Despite the hardships faced during the winter months, Kashmiris always look forward to a good winter when the ground is covered with a white blanket of snow, and the perennial water reserves in the mountains are replenished to sustain springs, streams, lakes, and rivers during the summer months.
