- Tourists visited a partially frozen waterfall in Gulmarg despite cold wave conditions in Kashmir
- Minimum temperatures rose slightly but sub-zero weather persisted in the Kashmir Valley
- IMD forecasts dry but cloudy weather in Kashmir till January 21 with dense fog in Jammu plains
A large number of tourists flocked to a partially frozen waterfall in Jammu and Kashmir's Gulmarg, even as minimum temperatures rose in the Valley but cold wave conditions persisted.
Hundreds stood in front of the winter spectacle in Gulmarg's Drang, reflecting the renewed spike of tourism in the Valley after last year's Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians were killed.
Despite a rise in minimum temperatures by a couple of degrees, sub-zero temperatures persisted , leading to parts of the Dal Lake and water bodies in the Valley freezing.
Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 2.4 degrees Celsius on Sunday night, up from the previous night's minus 5.2 degrees Celsius. South Kashmir's Pulwama town was the coldest place in the Valley with a minimum temperature of minus 6.5 degrees Celsius.
Parts of the Dal Lake froze amid sub-zero temperatures.
Photo Credit: PTI
Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius, while Gulmarg settled at a low of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius and Sonmarg recorded a minimum temperature of 2.4 degrees Celsius. Qazigund registered a low of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius, Kokernag minus 1.8 degrees Celsius and Kupwara minus 3.7 degrees Celsius.
The India Meteorological Department has said the weather is likely to remain dry but cloudy in the Valley till January 21. "Moderate fog over plains of Jammu division with dense fog at isolated places is likely to continue during the next five days," the MeT advisory said.
Kashmir is currently in the midst of 'Chilla-i-Kalan', 40 days of extreme cold, when night temperatures often drop several degrees below the freezing point and the chances of snowfall are the highest. 'Chilla-i-Kalan', which began on December 21 last year, ends on January 30.
Apart from Jammu and Kashmir, intense cold persists across north India, with Delhi experiencing a minimum temperature of 2.9 degrees Celsius and parts of Rajasthan witnessing sub-zero temperatures.
Snow in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag.
Photo Credit: PTI
Some places in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand also recorded temperatures below zero degrees Celsius and the mercury hovered close to the freezing point in Punjab and Haryana.
The IMD has predicted in its daily bulletin released on Sunday that cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are very likely to continue over Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on January 12-13. Dense fog conditions are very likely to continue during morning hours over northwest India and Bihar during the next five days.
With inputs from agencies
