While forecasters projected dry weather for the next 24 hours, the lowest temperature dropped significantly in J&K and Ladakh on Sunday, intensifying the ongoing cold wave.
In Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, “the minimum temperatures witnessed a significant dip,” according to the Meteorological Department. In Kashmir, it was reported that on Sunday night, the temperature dropped to an all-time low of -10.9 degrees Celsius in Pahalgam.
According to the MeT, the lowest temperature in Ladakh was – 15.4 degrees Celsius in Leh and minus 18.5 degrees Celsius in Kargil. They predicted that “because of overcast sky, night temperatures will register further fall,” and that “the weather is forecast to be largely dry and partly cloudy until January 18.”
It was also noted that “there is also a probability of fog in plains of Jammu & Kashmir during early hours,” and that another Western Disturbance was predicted to strike J&K from January 19 onwards, with odds of precipitation at 60%.
The MeT said that the low temperature in Srinagar was 0.6 degrees Celsius lower than it had been the night before (-0.1 degrees Celsius), but still 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than average for the summer capital.
They said that the temperature in Qazigund was 0.7 degrees Fahrenheit below zero, which was 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the average for the gateway city.
Reports indicated that Pahalgam saw a low of 10.9 degrees Celsius, 3.8 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than average, compared to the previous night’s low of 5.9 degrees. After the temperature dropped to minus 9.6 degrees Celsius on January 2, it was the coldest night ever recorded in the resort.
According to reports, Kokernag’s overnight low temperature was 1.4 degrees Celsius, which is 1.2 degrees Celsius warmer than the night before and 2.2 degrees Celsius higher than average.
The temperature in the Baramulla district ski resort of Gulmarg dropped to a record-breaking minus 10.4 degrees Celsius from the previous night’s record-breaking minus 11.0 degrees Celsius. Reports from the ski resort indicated temperatures 2.5 degrees Celsius lower than average.
Officials reported a mercury low of – 1.3 degrees Celsius in Kupwara town, which was 1.6 degrees Celsius more than average for the north Kashmir region.
The temperature in Jammu reportedly dropped to 4.6 degrees Fahrenheit from 6.6 the night before. The winter capital of J&K saw temperatures that were 2.4% lower than average.