Coldwave Grips North India As Fresh Spell Of Snowfall, Rains Lash Hilly Regions

Coldwave gripped North India as Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh received a fresh spell of snow and rainfall on Monday. The weather conditions also affected the flight operations at the Srinagar airport for the third consecutive day due to poor visibility caused by heavy fog. Minimum temperature in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh continued to hover several degrees below the season’s average.

“An active western disturbance is most likely to affect the UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh from Tuesday night to December 14 forenoon. Under the influence of this weather system, widespread moderate rain or snow is expected in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions,” a meteorological department official said.

He said light rain or snow would commence at a few places in Kashmir on Tuesday night and thereafter increase in intensity and distribution.

“The main activity of this system will be moderate to heavy rain or snow, most likely during December 12 and 13 and gradual decrease thereafter,” the official said.

Drass, the second coldest inhabited place in the world, witnessed an increase of over five notches in the night temperature, which settled at minus 21.4 degrees Celsius, while Leh was freezing at a low of minus 14.9 degrees Celsius against the previous night’s minus 16.0 degrees Celsius, he said.

He said Srinagar, which was reeling under cold wave over the past week, recorded a low of minus 2.9 degrees Celsius — 2.3 degrees below the season’s average, bringing some sort of relief to the people.

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