Drass freezes at -24.6°C, Kashmir's Dal lake turns to ice as cold wave grips J&K and Ladakh
Srinagar/Leh (The Uttam Hindu): Severe cold and a cold wave are currently sweeping across the Himalayan region, including North India. From the Kashmir Valley to Ladakh, temperatures have plummeted to several degrees below zero, severely disrupting normal life. The Drass region of Ladakh remains the coldest place in the country, experiencing bone-chilling cold. Last night, Srinagar recorded one of the coldest nights of the season.
Lakes and pipelines froze, leaving people thirsty for water.
The impact of the continuously falling mercury is clearly visible on the water sources of the Kashmir Valley. Due to the severe cold, many water bodies and small rivers have started freezing. A thick layer of ice has formed in the inner areas of Srinagar's world famous Dal Lake, due to which boatmen are facing a lot of difficulty in operating Shikaras and local people are facing a lot of difficulty in commuting. Apart from this, water has frozen inside the pipelines supplying drinking water to the residential areas, due to which people are facing a drinking water crisis. People are seen trying to thaw the pipes by lighting fires.
Snow fell in Shopian and Pulwama, Srinagar airport recorded -7.2 degrees Celsius
Looking at the temperature data, Shopian was the coldest place in the Kashmir Valley, where the minimum temperature was recorded at minus 8.2 degrees Celsius. It was followed by Pulwama at minus 8.0 degrees Celsius and Pahalgam at minus 7.8 degrees Celsius. The cold wave continued in the capital Srinagar as well, where the mercury dropped to minus 5.7 degrees Celsius, while the Srinagar airport recorded an even lower temperature of minus 7.2 degrees Celsius. Apart from this, the entire valley is shivering with the temperature recorded at minus 6.8 degrees in Gulmarg, minus 6.3 degrees in Qazigund and minus 6.1 degrees in Kupwara.
Bone-chilling cold in Ladakh, Drass records -24.6 degrees Celsius
The cold wave has intensified in the Ladakh region. The temperature in Drass has plummeted to minus 24.6 degrees Celsius, the lowest in the country. Nyoma and Padum are also reeling under the severe cold, recording temperatures of minus 20.3 degrees Celsius and minus 19.6 degrees Celsius, respectively. Hanle recorded a low of minus 17.0 degrees Celsius, while Leh city recorded a low of minus 14.4 degrees Celsius. Kargil and the Nubra Valley also experienced temperatures hovering around minus 13 degrees Celsius, bringing life to a virtual standstill.
The mercury will fall further, the administration has warned
The Meteorological Department has not yet expressed any hope of relief from the cold. According to the department, the skies are expected to remain clear in the coming days, which could further cause night temperatures to drop and intensify the cold. The administration has advised local residents and tourists to take appropriate precautions to avoid the harsh cold. They have also appealed to avoid unnecessary travel at night and in the early morning and evening, as frost on the roads has increased the risk of slippery conditions.