No respite from cold wave in Kashmir 

AAQIB BHAT

Srinigar Jan 15 (PTK):The deep freeze in Kashmir Valley shows no signs of relenting even as a thick layer of fog engulfed Srinagar on Friday.

A meteorological department official said that Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded the minimum temperature of minus 7.6°C, an increase of nearly one degrees from the previous night’s minus 8.4°C, the coldest temperature recorded after 25 years.

On January 13, Srinagar had recorded a low of minus 7.8°C, which was same as lrecorded eight years ago on 14 January 2012. In 1991, the Srinagar witnessed a low of minus 11.8°C while the lowest ever temperature was recorded on 31 January 1893 when the mercury had gone down to minus 14.4 degrees Celsius.

There are reports that Dal Lake and other water bodies here have frozen further. Social media was abuzz with pictures and videos of some boys and youth walking or playing on the Dal Lake even as authorities have warned against such “risky adventure.”

Also, a thick layer of fog engulfed many areas in the Valley, including Srinagar, causing traffic disruptions.

Meanwhile, the minimum temperatures continued far below than the normal in other parts of the Valley, settling at minus 8.6°C in Pahalgam against minus 11.1°C on the previous night in the world-famous health resort. Qazigund, the gateway town of J&K, recorded a low of minus 8.3°C against 10.0°C on the previous night. Kokernag recorded a low of minus 8.4°C against minus 10.3°C on the earlier night. (PTK)