SRINAGAR: Weatherman has forecast mainly dry weather over Jammu and Kashmir till March 20 even as night temperature recorded a rise at most places on Sunday. A meteorological department official said that Srinagar recorded a minimum of 2.0°C against 1.2°C on the previous night which was below normal by 2.7°C for the summer capital of JK for this time of the year. Qazigund recorded a minimum of 1.6°C against 2.1°C on the previous night and it was 2.0°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, he said. Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 1.7°C against minus 2.0°C on the previous night and it was 1.8°C below normal for the famous resort in south Kashmir. Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a minimum of 2.9°C against 1.9°C on the previous night and it was 0.6°C below normal, the official said. Kupwara town recorded a low of 0.5°C against minus 0.2°C on the previous night and it was 2.6°C below normal there, the official said. Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 2.0°C against minus 3.4°C on the previous night and it was below normal by 0.1°C for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. Jammu, he said, recorded a minimum of 12.1°C and it was below normal by 2.8°C for the winter capital of J&K. Banihal recorded a low of 4.4°C, Batote 8.5°C and Bhaderwah 4.5°C, he said. While largely dry weather has been forecast till March 20, the weatherman said that a fresh spell of rain and snow was expected in J&K thereafter till March 24.
