MERCURY DIPS FURTHER IN J&K AND LADAKH, PEOPLE TOLD TO STAY INDOORS

SRINAGAR: Authorities in the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh have issued a fresh advisory to the people to stay indoors after the sunset till morning to avoid any deaths due to the cold wave.

The advisory came on Thursday after Srinagar recorded the coldest night of the season, the third lowest December temperature in the past one decade, MET department of Srinagar said.

Srinagar city froze at minus 6.4 degrees Celsius in Srinagar on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday from minus 4.8 degrees on the earlier night.

Clear skies have resulted in the free fall of mercury at all the important places of Kashmir valley and even the city recorded sub-zero night temperature.

According to the MET department in Srinagar, at the famous ski-resort in north Kashmir Gulmarg, the temperatures were as low as minus 11 degrees Celsius, while in the Pahalgam health resort of south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 7.4 degrees Celsius.

Giving details of the night temperatures in Kashmir valley MET department said Qazigund, the gateway to the Kashmir valley, recorded the minimum of minus 3.3 degrees Celsius, while Kupwara, in the north, registered a low of minus 4.8 degrees Celsius and Kokernag, in the south, minus 5.2 degrees Celsius.

As the MET department has predicted dry weather and clear skies in Kashmir and other parts of Ladakh till December 22 with the possibility of a further decrease in the night temperature, authorities issued an advisory asking people to stay in their homes from evening to morning hours and avoid movement after the sunset. Such precautions are specially for children and aged persons in Ladakh and Kashmir Valley.