Srinagar: Amid forecast for ‘erratic weather’, night temperature increased across Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, officials said.

A meteorological department official here said  that Srinagar, the summer capital of the J&K, recorded a low of 1.4°C against last night’s minus 2.2°C. The temperature was above 1.2°C than the normal for this time of the year, he said.

Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, witnessed a low of 0.0°C against minus 2.6°C on the previous night, he said.

Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, had a low of 0.6°C against minus 1.9°C on the previous night, the official said.

Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 3.4°C against minus 6.3°C last night, he said.

Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 4.0°C against minus 7.0°C on the previous night, he said.

The temperature was 2.2°C above normal for this time of the year in the famous resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.

Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a low of 0.5°C against minus 3.0°C on the previous night, the official said.

While the ‘Chillai Kalan’, the 40-day long harshest period of winter ended on January 30, Kashmir is under the grip of the 20-day long ‘Chillai Khurd’ which would be followed by 10-day-long ‘Chilla Bachha’.

Jammu recorded a low of 9.3°C against previous night’s 7.5°C, the official said. The temperature was 0.8°C below normal for the J&K’s winter capital during this time of the year, he said.

Banihal recorded a low of 1.2°C, Batote had a minimum of 2.9°C while Bhaderwah recorded a low of 1.8°C, the official said.

Ladakh’s Leh recorded a low of minus 11.5°C against last night minus 10.9°C while mercury at automatic station in Kargil settled at minus 15.2°C. Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 18.0°C against minus 20.1°C on the previous night, official said.

Weather is likely to remain erratic (generally cloudy and sunshine at times) during 15 to 21st with a possibility of brief spell of light rain and snow (over higher reaches) at scattered places of J&K during February 15 (night) to 16th and February 18-19th,” the official said. “There’s no forecast of any major rain and snow for the next 10 days,” he added. (GNS)

Reader correspondent