Srinagar Freezes At Minus 5.8 Degrees Celsius, Snowfall Likely On New Year's Eve

Several parts of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh reeled under cold wave conditions on Saturday, with Srinagar recording the coldest night of the season at minus 5.8 degrees Celsius. The mercury in Leh and Drass in Ladakh plummeted to minus 19.1 degrees Celsius and minus 28.6 degrees Celsius respectively, a Metrological Department official said. Water supply lines froze at several places in Srinagar as the minimum temperature in the city settled at minus 5.8 degrees Celsius on Friday night. It was minus 5.6 degrees Celsius the previous night.

The Metrological Department has forecast rains and snowfall in Kashmir on the New Year’s Eve that is likely to bring respite from the cold wave conditions in the valley.

“There is a possibility of light rains or snowfall across Kashmir for a few days from December 31,” the official said.

Cold wave conditions continued unabated in several parts of north India. The national capital on Saturday recorded its coldest day of the season as the minimum temperature plummeted to 2.4 degrees Celsius in the morning, officials said.

Dense fog enveloped the city reducing visibility and affecting air traffic and vehicular movement in the streets.

Mercury fell to its lowest in Delhi this season with the Safdarjung Observatory, whose reading is considered the official marking for the city, recording 2.4 degrees Celsius in the morning.

Other observatories recorded as follows: Palam 3.1 degrees Celsius, Lodhi Road 1.7 degrees Celsius, Aya Nagar 1.9 degrees Celsius, a senior MeT Department official said.

The air quality turned severe again on Saturday, as falling temperatures, high humidity and low wind speed allowed accumulation of pollutants. The overall air quality index stood at 413 at 10 am.

Cold wave and severe cold day has been forecast over Delhi-NCR on Saturday, senior meteorologist at IMD, Kuldeep Srivastava said.

Since 1992, the minimum temperature at Safdarjung Observatory was?2.4 degrees Celsius on December 30, 2013 and?2.3 degrees Celsius on December 11, 1996. The all-time record of low is zero degrees on December 27 in 1930, he said.