Kashmir Weather Turns Mildly Cold, Bringing Relief from Heat Wave
The weather changed after abrupt snowfall over Kashmir mountains and rainfall in the plains on September 24 and 25
The mornings and evenings in Kashmir valley have turned mildly cold after the region recorded above normal temperatures in August and first three weeks of September.
The weather changed after abrupt snowfall over Kashmir mountains and rainfall in the plains on September 24 and 25. The ski resort of Gulmarg had recorded the season’s first snowfall over its higher reaches on September 24. Since then, there has been a nip in the air during the nights, mornings and evenings in the Valley.
“The fans and coolers are off mostly in the evenings. People are even occasionally using sweaters as well. The winter wardrobe is being revisited,” said Souliha Mir, a city resident.
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The weather office said, “During the night, the minimum temperatures have almost halved across the Valley. “From night temperatures of 11 to 13 degree Celsius in the third week of September, we are now witnessing minimum temperatures ranging between 3 and 7.5 degree Celsius.”
The minimum temperature recorded last night in Srinagar was 7.4 degree Celsius, two degrees below normal. Similarly, Qazigund in south Kashmir and Kupwara in north Kashmir also witnessed below normal night temperatures of 5.0 and 3.3 degree Celsius respectively.
The official said the day temperatures are still running slightly above normal. “Srinagar recorded a maximum of 27.1 degree Celsius, 1 degree above normal while Gulmarg witnessed 16.5 degree Celsius, .5 degree above normal,” he said.
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The official said the weather has changed in the valley. “The valley’s weather plays up to its expectations. A slight change prompts people to bring out their woollens. It is 27 degree Celsius in Srinagar today when just a week back the temperatures were running above 34 degrees,” he said.
Kashmir experienced significantly high temperatures early September at most places of the Valley with heat wave to severe heat wave at Qazigund and Kokernag. In Kokernag and Qazigund, the temperatures ran around 6 degrees above normal to settle between 31.5 to 32.5 degrees Celsius. Similarly, other stations of Kashmir, including summer capital Srinagar recorded above normal temperatures by 4 degrees to settle around 32 to 34 degrees.
The Valley also witnessed major deficiency in rainfall in August and September with summer capital Srinagar recording lowest rainfall in 25 years in August.
Change in school timings
As the days become shorter and weather turns cold, the school education authorities in Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar on Saturday changed the school timings from October 1.
Director of school education, Kashmir, ordered new timings in schools with class work from 9 am to 3 pm. “In supersession of all previous orders, it is hereby ordered that all the government and private recognised schools within the municipal limits of Srinagar city shall observe school timings from 9 am to 3 pm from October 1,” the order said.
Earlier, the schools timings in all the educational institutions were from 8.30 am to 2.30 pm, which had come into effect from June 22.
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