As the winter season has started to get prominent in the northern part of India, the temperature in Srinagar dropped below the freezing point for the first time this season. During the early hours of Monday, Srinagar city recorded a temperature of minus 0.1 degrees Celsius.
As reported by the news agency IANS, the Meteorological (MeT) Department officials said, “This is the first time this season that the minimum temperature has dropped below the freezing point in Srinagar city.”
Apart from Srinagar, other parts of Jammu and Kashmir also experienced freezing temperatures. Gulmarg recorded minus 0.2 degrees Celsius, while Pahalgam was one of the coldest in the state, at minus 3.2 degrees.
The Met department officials also said, “Weather is likely to remain dry for the next fortnight, and due to a clear night sky, the minimum temperature is likely to fall further in the coming days,” as cited by news agency IANS.
Apart from the high-altitude areas, Jammu city recorded 11.5 degrees Celsius, the Mata Vaishno Devi basecamp town of Katra recorded 11 degrees Celsius, Batote recorded 4.6 degrees Celsius, and Bhaderwah recorded 2.2 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature on Monday.
Due to the morning and evening chilly winds blowing across the valley from snow-clad mountain tops, the weather in Kashmir has now turned quite cold. Amid the freezing temperatures in the state, locals have now started covering themselves with heavy woollens.
Importance of Pheran
The tweed overgarment, called the ‘Pheran’, is the traditional winter wear for the people living in the Valley. As winter becomes colder, an earthen pot filled with charcoal woven in a willow wicket basket called the ‘Kangri’ is used inside the Pheran to ward off extreme winter cold.
The 40-day-long period of extreme cold called the ‘Chillai Kalan’ starts on December 21 and ends on January 30 each year.
During this period, most water bodies across the valley freeze either completely or partially, marking the arrival of winter.
While the weather conditions across Kashmir are concerning, the pulmonologists have cautioned people, especially elders and children, not to expose themselves to extreme cold.
Experts further asserted that exposure to extreme cold can cause severe chest congestion and infection during the winter months.
(With inputs from IANS)