Srinagar: Sun greeted people on Friday in Kashmir valley, where mercury continued to surge during the past over a week, while deficit rainfall was recorded due to dry spell.
However, people at the world-famous ski resort of Gulmarg and famed health resort of Pahalgam witnessed sub-zero degree temperature during the night. The border town of Kargil on Srinagar-Leh national highway, which was closed for the past more than two months due to accumulation of snow, was coldest at minus 15.4 degree Celsius, followed by Leh at minus 8.3 degrees.
However, mercury was below minus 25 to 35 degrees at the Line of Control (LoC) in the Union Territory of Ladakh, where security forces remained on alert, to foil any 1990-like situation, when Pakistan intruders had occupied all heights in Kargil and Drass sectors. It took several months to kill or push back the intruders.
The dry spell will continue in the next week also, in the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, a Met department spokesperson said here.
He said after recording the highest snowfall in the past three decades, the week from January 30 to February 5 witnessed deficit rainfall in the valley. Water level in rivers remained below normal, as snow on higher reaches was frozen and there was deficit rainfall, so far.
However, experts said this will have no impact on irrigation and drinking water supply during summers, as enough snow has accumulated on mountains.
It was yet another sunny day in Kashmir, including this summer capital, where people were still wearing woollen and warm clothes, because of chilly winds in the morning and evening.
People were seen enjoying sunny weather at parks and gardens, including at Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of this summer capital.
The intensity of the heat was high, as compared to previous days, much to the delight of people.
The minimum temperature at Srinagar was recorded at 2.2 degrees, while it was 1.6 degrees, one degree and 0.9 degree at Kokernag, Kupwara and Qazigund, respectively.
Gulmarg, about 55 km from here in north Kashmir, was coldest in the valley at minus 5.6 degrees minimum temperature. The experts said this will help snow to melt slowly.
At Pahalgam, the minimum temperature was minus 2 degrees, a Met spokesperson said here.
