Srinagar has coldest night of season, Leh freezes

The night temperature continued its free fall below the freezing point in Srinagar Monday, reaching the lowest this season so far, while Leh slipped to a bone-chilling minus 12 degrees Celsius.

"The minimum temperature in Srinagar city was minus 1.4 degrees Celsius during the night, the coldest recorded so far this season," a Met department official told IANS.

"The minimum temperature recorded in Gulmarg and Pahalgam was minus 1.8 and minus 4.4, respectively, while Leh town in the Ladakh region recorded minus 12 degrees Celsius during the night."

In Kargil, the night temperature was minus 10.5 degrees Celsius, he said.

"Jammu recorded a minimum of 7.9 which is the lowest recorded there this season so far," he added.

The official said minimum temperatures are likely to drop further as weather is expected to remain dry during the next three days.

What came as a relief to motorists and commuters in Srinagar Monday morning was the absence of intense fog that had become a regular feature in the city and its outskirts during the last fortnight.

Kashmir has been witnessing early winter and cold wave conditions this season, which is attributed by Met officials to unprecedented rain during the month of September.