After hot, humid conditions, weather turns pleasant in Kashmir

Srinagar, Aug 14 :  After witnessing hot and humid conditions during the past about a fortnight, weather turned pleasant due to rain and overcast conditions since yesterday in Kashmir valley, where maximum and minimum temperatures dipped and settled several notches below normal. A Met department spokesperson told  that light to moderate rain and thundershowers would occur at many places over the state during the next 48 hours. The night temperature at world famous ski resort of Gulmarg, about 55 km from here in north Kashmir, which received light to moderate rain since last evening, dipped a degree from yesterday and settled at 8 degrees Celsius, which is 4 degree below normal. “Since yesterday evening, the weather has turned pleasant much to the delight of the tourists, who have come from different parts of the country to evade hot weather. Despite intermittent rain, the tourists are out on the lush green slopes – enjoying horse riding, besides other activities,” a hotelier told  over the phone. After the mercury dipped and settled 4 degree below normal due to overnight rain, people in this summer capital woke up to a cloudy morning followed by intermittent rain. Against 17.1 degrees C recorded yesterday, the night temperature at Srinagar was 14.3 degree. The day temperature has also dipped due to overcast conditions and intermittent rain in the Srinagar city. The night temperatures at tourist resort Kukernag and border town of Kargil also dipped and settled at 13.7 degrees C and 11.6 degrees C respectively. However, the mercury at world famous health resort of Pahalgam, about 100 km from here in south Kashmir, and Kupwara in north Kashmir surged, it was still below normal. Against 11.8 degrees C recorded yesterday, the night temperature at Pahalgam was 12.8 degrees C while the mercury surged about a degree from yesterday and settled at 14.4 degrees C in Kupwara. The night temperature at Qazigund, gateway to Kashmir Valley, remained constant since yesterday at 14.4 degrees C, about 3 degree below normal. UNI