As the severe winter marked by record levels of freezing weather has ended, the sudden rise in the temperature with mercury registering an increase of up to seven degrees above the normal is now marking an early arrival of spring in Kashmir valley.
The daytime temperature in Srinagar, the main city of Kashmir, has remained nearly seven degrees above the normal of ten degrees Celsius during the past week. The maximum temperature in the city yesterday was recorded at 17 degrees Celsius.
The temperature over the next week is also likely to remain two to seven degrees above the normal.
Mukhtar Ahmad, the Deputy Director of Srinagar Meteorological Centre, told The Kashmir Walla that temperature across Kashmir is expected to improve further. “Winter is almost over now, weather is now expected to remain dry. There is a chance of rainfall after 20 February but the details will be clear in a day or two,” he said.
The arrival of early spring – nearly a month ahead of its schedule – has come at the back of a bitter winter when the Kashmir region witnessed record-low temperatures.
The temperature during January had fallen to a low minus 8.6 degrees Celsius, which was the coldest January night temperature in three decades.
A heavy spell of snow during the first week of January had continued for four days and caused widespread disruptions in the region.
The recent rise in day temperature has been witnessed across Kashmir valley with Kupwara town recording a maximum of 19.3 degrees Celsius, which was eight degrees above normal.
The day temperature in Pahalgam resort of south Kashmir was recorded at 13.2 degrees Celsius, up by six degrees from the normal of seven degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature in Gulmarg resort of north Kashmir was recorded at seven degrees Celsius, which was a departure of a degree from the normal.
The minimum temperature in Gulmarg last night was also higher than the normal of minus seven degrees Celsius as the mercury fell to a low of minus four degrees Celsius.
