Srinagar/UNI: An unrelenting cold wave continued in the Kashmir Valley as the Meteorological (MeT) department on Thursday predicted dry weather until January 23.

The summer capital, Srinagar, recorded minus 4.6 degrees Celsius, Pahalgam minus 5.8 degrees, and Gulmarg minus 4.5 degrees as the minimum temperatures on Thursday.

The previous night, Srinagar had minus 2.4 as the minimum temperature, while Gulmarg and Pahalgam had minus 3.2 and minus 3.9, respectively.

The southern Pulwama and Konibal weather stations were the coldest, at minus 6.3 degrees Celsius and minus 6 degrees Celsius, respectively.

The MeT Srinagar, in an update, predicted isolated rains on January 24.

Kashmir is in the grip of severe cold due to the harshest 40-day winter period, "Chilla-i-Kalan,” that began on December 21 and will end on January 31. J&K has so far recorded deficit precipitation in December and January, with most of the plains without any major snowfall.

This is after almost seven years that Kashmir is witnessing a snowless winter.