No major weather activity ahead
Srinagar, Feb 19: Day temperatures across Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a sharp rise on Thursday, with several stations in the Kashmir Valley recording maximum temperatures nearly 9 to 10 degrees Celsius above normal.
According to data compiled by Kashmir Weather, Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 20.1°C, which is 9.7°C above normal for this time of the year. Qazigund registered 20.4°C, 10.9°C above normal, while Pahalgam recorded 16.0°C, 9.0°C above normal. Kupwara settled at 19.4°C, Kokernag at 17.8°C and Gulmarg at 11.4°C, all recording departures of around 9 to 10 degrees above normal.In the Jammu region, Jammu city recorded 27.0°C, which is 5.1°C above normal. Katra recorded 24.6°C, also 5.1°C above normal. Banihal, Batote and Bhaderwah registered 19.8°C, 19.5°C and 18.9°C respectively, each recording departures ranging between 5 to 7 degrees above normal.
In Ladakh, Leh recorded a maximum of 7.6°C, Kargil 9.4°C and Nubra Valley 10.5°C.
The significant rise in daytime temperatures across both plains and higher reaches reflects prevailing dry weather conditions, with no major precipitation reported during the day.
The Meteorological Department on Thursday forecast largely stable weather conditions across Jammu and Kashmir till the end of February, with no significant activity expected during the period.
Director MeT Mukhtar Ahmad said that dry weather is likely to prevail across most parts of the Union Territory in the coming days. However, he indicated that on February 27 and 28, skies are expected to remain cloudy with chances of light snowfall in the higher reaches.
He further said that February 2 is also expected to witness generally cloudy conditions, though no major precipitation is anticipated.
Meanwhile, temperatures have shown an upward trend across the region. In the plains, maximum temperatures have been recorded between 17 to 18 degrees Celsius, while hill stations have witnessed daytime temperatures ranging between 10 to 11 degrees Celsius.
The MeT Department said the prevailing weather conditions are favourable for normal day-to-day activities and travel, particularly in the plains, while advising people in hilly areas to stay updated with local forecasts ahead of the expected cloud cover later this month. (KNT)
