Important Facts For Prelims
Chillai-Kalan
- 24 Dec 2019
- 1 min read
- Chillai-Kalan, a traditional 40-day long period of extreme cold in Kashmir, began on December 21 and will continue till January 31 followed by Chillai-Khurd and Chillai-Bachha.
- Chillai-Khurd (small cold), a 20-day long period which starts from January 31 to February 19.
- Chillai-Bachha (baby cold), a 10-day long period follows which occurs between February 20 and March 2.
- As per India Meteorological Department (IMD), the period mostly remains wet as the upper part of the Kashmir Valley receives heavy snowfall and the minimum temperature drops considerably.
- During this period, water bodies like lakes, rivers and streams get frozen with a thick layer of ice.
India Meteorological Department
- It was established in 1875 as an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India.
- It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology.
