Srinagar, Dec 21: The harshest period of winter, known locally as Chillai-Kalan, has gripped the Kashmir Valley with a severe cold wave, plunging temperatures to record-breaking lows.
Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded its coldest December night in 30 years as the mercury dipped to a bone-chilling -8.5°C.
As per an Independent forecaster, this is the third lowest December temperature ever recorded in Srinagar in the last 133 years.
“At -8.5°C Srinagar Recorded the coldest night of the December since 1990, All time lowest temperature was -12.8°C which was recorded on 13 December 1934,” he said, in a post on X.
Regarding other areas, he said that Shopian in South Kashmir recorded a low of minus 10.4 degrees Celsius while Anantnag recorded minus 10.5 degree Celsius.
The minimum temperature at Pulwama settled at minus 10.3 degree Celsius while in Kulgam it settled at minus 6.8 degree Celsius.
Chillai-Kalan is a 40-day harshest winter period that will be followed by Chilla-bacha or baby cold from Feb 20 to March 2.
