Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], January 13 : A cold wave continued to grip Kashmir on Tuesday as temperatures dipped below freezing across several parts of the Valley, with Srinagar recording a minimum temperature of minus 4 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
As per the IMD forecast, Srinagar city is expected to record a maximum temperature of 12 degrees Celsius and a minimum of minus 4 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. In Jammu city, the maximum temperature is likely to be around 10 degrees Celsius, while the minimum is expected to settle at 4 degrees Celsius. The forecast says "a partly cloudy sky becoming generally cloudy towards afternoon or evening or night" in the region.
Despite the biting cold, tourists were seen enjoying the chilly morning at Dal Lake in Srinagar, wrapped in warm layers of clothing to protect themselves from the cold wave. Many visitors described the winter season as having its own unique charm.
Tourist Ankit Chhabra, who is visiting from Faridabad, Delhi, shared his experience of the cold weather in Kashmir.
"It's very cold in the morning; it must be below zero. We came expecting to see a frozen lake, based on the reels from last time. Even without that, we're so bundled up, and it's so cold. You can imagine what it would be like with a frozen lake. We would request everyone to definitely come here to Dal Lake and enjoy the weather. It's very nice. We came once before in the summer, and now everyone said to come in the winter, so we've come here to Dal Lake," he said to ANI.
Highlighting the appeal of the season, he added, "The cold has its own charm. Everyone should come, there are no issues, no security issues, everyone is nice, you will definitely feel the Kashmiri vibe."
Popular tourist destinations across Jammu and Kashmir also continued to experience low temperatures. Gulmarg is expected to record a maximum temperature of 7 degrees Celsius and a minimum of minus 5 degrees Celsius. Pahalgam is likely to see a maximum of 11 degrees Celsius and a minimum of minus 7 degrees Celsius. In the Jammu region, Kathua is expected to record a maximum temperature of 18 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 7 degrees Celsius, while Katra may see temperatures ranging between 15 degrees Celsius and 6 degrees Celsius.
The cold wave conditions have persisted across the Valley over the past few days, even as tourist footfall remains steady, with visitors keen to experience Kashmir's winter landscape and snowfall-dependent destinations.