Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar continued to feel the winter chill with the minimum temperature at 1.0 degrees Celsius on Sunday, as per India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The city is likely to experience partly cloudy sky becoming generally cloudy towards afternoon or evening or night’ today, as per the Met Department.
Upper reaches of Bhalessa in Doda district of the Union Territory received fresh snowfall, while the plains experienced rainfall, leading to a significant dip in temperatures. For farmers and orchard owners, this comes as a relief after a prolonged dry spell in the region.
Meanwhile, in a move to ensure safe passage amidst the snowfall and inclement weather conditions in Sonamarg in Kashmir, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has initiated snow clearance operations to enhance traffic flow in the area.
The Kashmir valley has been covered under a blanket of snow for the past few days. Although snowfall and these layers of snow may look breathtaking and mesmerising, it also hampers the daily activities of the people residing there.
Further down, the weather department has forecast dense fog in isolated places over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Dense fog covered the national capital on Sunday morning affecting visibility.
The fog was accompanied by cold winds. According to IMD, the lowest temperature in Delhi on Sunday is 10 degrees Celsius. It has predicted rain for Delhi on February 3.
Meanwhile, Dehi’s air quality was recorded in the “very poor” category. According the Central Pollution Control Board, Air Quality Index was logged at 340 at 8 am this morning.
An AQI rating is categorised as follows: 0-50 (good), 51-100 (satisfactory), 101-200 (moderate), 201-300 (poor), 301-400 (very poor), and 401-500 (severe).
Cold weather conditions continue to grip the national capital, with residents seeking refuge in night shelters to escape the biting cold.
On Saturday night, many were seen huddled in shelters across areas like Nizamuddin and Lodhi Road, looking for warmth amid the harsh conditions.
The shelters are usually simple structures–either, community centres, or tents — with basic amenities like heaters to provide warmth.
In coordination with various NGOs, the Delhi government has made efforts to provide warm clothing, blankets, and heated spaces to accommodate the growing number of people turning to these facilities.
Tinku Kumar, a caretaker of one of the night shelters said, “We have 20 beds for the people. All of the people have been provided with food and blankets including medicines.”
The dip in morning and night temperatures is attributed to northwesterly winds coming from the Himalayas. (ANI)
