Chillai-Kalan, a 40-day harshest winter period, commenced with an intense cold wave conditions as Srinagar has recorded the coldest night of December in the last four decades. After 1986, Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir,

Srinagar: Chillai Kalan, the 40-day period of harshest winter, commenced in Kashmir on Saturday with Srinagar experiencing its coldest December night in five decades at minus 8.5 degrees Celsius, according to the meteorological department.

Weather experts attribute the intense cold wave in Kashmir to the La Niña effect, which leads to harsher winters and increased precipitation. During the phenomenon, the surface temperatures of the Pacific Ocean cool, disrupting atmospheric circulation patterns and resulting in extreme weather conditions worldwide.

Kalan, considered Kashmir's harshest winter period, Kashmir experienced its coldest night of the season, with Srinagar recording a minimum temperature of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius.

The iconic Dal Lake has begun to freeze as a severe cold wave tightens its grip on the Kashmir Valley. Marking the start of the 40-day harsh winter period known as 'Chillai Kalan,' the region braces for plunging temperatures and icy conditions.

Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh have been battling severe cold wave conditions for many weeks now, with Srinagar recording the season's lowest temperature at minus 8.5 degrees

Srinagar recorded its coldest December night in five decades at minus 8.5 degrees Celsius on Saturday, according to the meteorological department. Kashmir has already begun to experience the inception of the 40-day period of harshest winter,