The Hindu : National : Kashmir Valley at minus seven degrees

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 31, 2007
ePaper

National

National

Kashmir Valley at minus seven degrees

Srinagar: The banks of Dal Lake froze for the second time this winter as the mercury plunged to a record low of minus 7.2 degrees Celsius in Kashmir valley on Sunday while Leh in Ladakh was reeling under a numbing 15 below freezing point.

After the coldest night of the season, the sun came out brightly as a respite to people using hot water to defreeze water pipes and also thawing the lake. Besides Dal Lake, which is the main draw for tourists, icicles had formed on other water bodies in the valley but melted as the day advanced.

“The overnight temperature in Srinagar recorded this morning was minus 7.2 C, the season’s lowest so far and 5 degrees below the normal range,” a weather office spokesman said. The temperature was a 2 degree drop from Thursday’s minus 5.6 C, which was the coldest till then, he said.

This has zapped the valley’s denizens who expect the ‘chilai kalan’ (40 days of harsh winter) period to be just snow and rain. ‘Chilai kalan’ begins from December 21.

Leh district saw the minimum temperature as minus 15.2 C on Saturday. -- PTI

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National