Omar cancels programmes in Jammu amid severe cold wave in Kashmir

I have decided to cancel my forthcoming programmes in Jammu & station myself in Srinagar to monitor functioning of departments OMAR ABDULLAH, J&K CM

- HT Correspondent

SRINAGAR: The minimum temperatures improved in Kashmir valley on Sunday owing to cloudy weather but remained below normal affecting life across the Himalayan valley.

The summer capital Srinagar recorded a minimum of -4.6 degree Celsius during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, up from earlier night's -8.5 degree Celsius which was the coldest December night in the valley in 50 years.

"As predicted, the temperatures improved in Kashmir valley during the night with Srinagar freezing at -4.6 degree Celsius," said meteorologist, M Hussain Mir.

Kashmir's harshest 40-day winter period started on Saturday with record breaking cold in decades. There has not been any major snowfall in the plains so far in the region.

For the past few weeks, the valley has been reeling under intense cold and dry weather freezing water bodies, including Dal Lake, while also affecting the water supply due to freezing of pipes and taps. The living conditions have been exacerbated by the consistent unannounced power cuts owing to gaps in power supply and demand.

The coldest place in the valley during the night was south Kashmir's Konibal in Pampore at -6.5 degree Celsius, up from -10.5 degree Celsius on the night earlier. Southern hill resort of Pahalgam recorded a low of -4.9 degree Celsius while the gateway into Kashmir at Qazigund witnessed -5.2 degree Celsius.

In North Kashmir, the coldest place recorded by the MeT was the ski resort of Gulmarg in Baramulla where mercury plunged to -4.6 degree Celsius while the frontier district of Kupwara recorded a low of -4.2 degree Celsius.

The MeT has predicted more harsh days ahead after cloudy weather and light snowfall over the mountains on Monday.