Weather turns pleasant in Kashmir as Sun appears

Srinagar, Mar 16 : After witnessing below normal temperature due to snowfall on upper reaches and rain in plains during the past 48 hours in the Kashmir valley, weather turned pleasant after the Sun made an appearance on Friday.

However, border town of Kargil froze at minus 8 degree minimum temperature followed by world famous ski resort of Gulmarg where the night temperature recorded a drop and settled at minus 4.5 degree.

A Met department spokesman said this afternoon that there could be light rain or snow at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir during the next 24 hours. However, the weather will remain dry in Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh region during the subsequent four days.

Much to the delight of people, particularly farmers, the Sun appeared on Friday after two days wet weather in the Kashmir valley, where higher reaches received snowfall and plains, including Srinagar received rain on Friday. Farmers were also worried after drop in the mercury due to snowfall which could have affected almond blossom.

People in Kargil, a border town on Srinagar-Leh national highway, which remained closed since December last year, continued to shiver after minimum temperature witnessed a further drop and settled at minus 8 degree against yesterday's minus 6.3 degree. The minimum temperature at Leh was almost unchanged as against yesterday's minus 1.2 degree, it was minus 1.4 degree. The sky would be mainly clear and the maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 11 degree and minus 2 degree respectively at Leh during the next 24 hours.

Gulmarg, the world famous ski resort in north Kashmir, was the coldest after the minimum temperature recorded a drop of 1.5 degree due to fresh snowfall yesterday. Against yesterday's minus 3.3 degree, it was minus 4.5 degree which however, is being considered normal during this period of the year. There was no change in the minimum temperature at famed health resort of Pahalgam where it was minus 1.2 degree.

The summer capital, Srinagar, witnessed improvement in the weather after the Sun appeared though the intensity of the heat was still low. The minimum temperature was 5 degrees, about two notches above normal. The sky would be mainly clear and the maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 15 degree and 4 degree respectively during the next 24 hours in Srinagar.