Srinagar shivers at -5.4 degree Celsius

The winter vacations upto Class 5 commenced from Tuesday, while for remaining classes--6 to 12--the holidays will start from December 16

With the mercury dipping further, the summer capital Srinagar recorded lowest temperature of the season at -5.4 degree Celsius on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.

Farmers dip in the sub-zero temperature to extract Lotus stems on Tuesday. (Waseem Andrabi /HT)

The winter vacations upto Class 5 commenced from Tuesday, while for remaining classes--6 to 12--the holidays will start from December 16.

“All teachers shall remain available as required for any online guidance to students during the vacation,” said an order issued by principal secretary school education Suresh Kumar, last week.

The teaching staffs of government high and higher secondary schools have also been asked to remain available from February 10 at respective headquarters for arrangements of board examinations of classes 10, 11 and 12.

Meanwhile, the cold strengthened its grip over the union territory with below normal sub-zero temperatures across the Kashmir valley.

The hill resorts of Gulmarg in south Kashmir and Pahalgam in north Kashmir were the coldest at -9 and -8.4 degree Celsius respectively.

Director meteorological centre in Srinagar Mukhtar Ahmad said that cold wave like conditions will prevail across J&K mostly till December 20.

“The temperatures are continuously dropping. The plains are witnessing temps ranging between -5 and -6, including in Srinagar and adjoining areas. In hill stations, the mercury has touched -8 to -9,” he said.

He said that in Jammu’s plains, the temperatures have dropped by 4-5 degrees.

The minimum temperature in Jammu division was recorded in Bhaderwah and Banihal at -3.4 degree Celsius and -2.2 degree Celsius respectively.

“In coming days particularly tomorrow (night), the cold conditions will continue while a feeble western disturbance between December 11 and 12 is approaching which can bring light snowfall in north Kashmir’s higher reaches,” he said.

“From the forenoon of December 12 to 20, the temperatures will again fall and a cold wave like conditions will prevail over J&K,” he said.

Chilai Kalan, Kashmir’s harshest 40-day winter period, will start on December 20 which is expected to bring snowfall across the Himalayan valley.