Cold wave tightens grip on Kashmir; Srinagar temperature drops close to 5 degrees Celsius

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): Kashmir Valley witnessed a bone-chilling first day of the New Year as the minimum temperature dropped several degrees below the freezing point in many areas on Monday.

The minimum temperature in the summer capital of Srinagar dropped to minus 5.2 degrees Celsius in the morning, a weather official said.

As Kashmir grapples with the extreme cold, the impact on daily life and infrastructure is palpable.

The freezing temperatures have made daily activities a challenge for residents. "The temperature in Jammu and Kashmir was minus 5.4 at night. Wherever we pour water it freezes. People are coming in large numbers to enjoy the weather. Yesterday, there was a big celebration in front of Lal Chowk. We pray that if there is snowfall then the cold will subside a little because our children and elders have fallen ill," a local in Srinagar told ANI.

Dal Lake and other water bodies which attract tourists and locals for rides have frozen. Fog has made visibility extremely poor on the road during the morning.

However, tourists are enjoying the weather.

"We reached here only last night. In the morning we see that a thin layer of snow has accumulated. The way the weather is, we think we will enjoy it a lot," a tourist from Jaipur said.

The India Meteorological Department has predicted the same weather for the Union Territory for the whole week with minimum temperature likely to hover between minus 1 and 8 degrees Celsius.

(ANI)