Chila-i-Kalan bids adieu with coldest day of season

Owais Gul

Srinagar, Jan 30 (KNO): As the 40-day harshest winter period, Chila-i-Kalan is set to culminate in the intervening night of Saturday-Sunday, Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir recorded coldest day of the season where mercury settled at 2.0 degree Celsius.

According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the night temperature continued to remain below freezing point across Kashmir while the local weatherman here has predicted improvement in the minimum temperature from tonight onwards.

Director Meteorological department (MeT), Sonum Lotus said that minimum temperature has gone low this Chila-i-Kalan after probably 25 years, but this happens as it is normal and has nothing to do with climate change.

“People have been relating the prevalent weather conditions with climate change, which is incorrect. This weather conditions were recorded two decades back when there was no talk about climate change,” he said.

He added that dip in the minimum temperature especially after January 24 was the outcome of northern wind that prevailed over the region so far. “The minimum temperature would start gradually improving from tonight onwards,” he said.

Lotus informed that this Chila-i-kalan, there was a heavy snowfall in the beginning of this month following which dry spell prevailed across Kashmir, adding that in absence of frequent snowfall and open sky during day, the minimum temperature plummeted in the Valley.

About forecast, Lotus said there is possibility of light snowfall at scattered places in Kashmir in between February 03-04.

Meanwhile, MeT spokesman said that Srinagar recorded the coldest day in Chila-i-Kalan today as the mercury settled at 2.0 degree Celsius as against 2.1 degree Celsius last day.

Sharing details about minimum temperature recorded last night, MeT spokesman said the mercury settled at minus 7.2 degree Celsius while in Gulmarg, a world famous ski-resort and Pahalgam, the minimum temperature settled at minus 10.0 degree Celsius and 12.5 degrees Celsius respectively.

Pertinently, Kashmir received heavy snowfall this Chila-i-Kalan on January 03 while another snow spell was received after probably ten days from the first heavy snow spell.

The harshest winter period commenced on December 21 and will culminate tonight. The 20-day winter period, known as Chila-i-Khurd will commence from this night