Mercury continues downward spiral in Kashmir Valley

The minimum temperature settled several degrees below the freezing point at most places in the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh region on Monday even as the summer capital Srinagar experienced the coldest night of the season so far.

Srinagar recorded a minimum of minus 2.8 degrees Celsius last night, an official of the Meteorological Department here said.

He said the city experienced the coldest night of this winter so far.

The night temperature dropped in the city from the previous night's minus 2.4 degrees Celsius owing to a clear sky.

The official said other places across the valley and Ladakh region also experienced sub-zero night temperature on Sunday night.

He said the Pahalgam health resort, which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath yatra in south Kashmir, registered a low of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius and was the coldest recorded place in the valley.

The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 4 degrees Celsius down from minus 3.4 degrees Celsius on the previous night, he said.

The official said Kokernag in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 0.5 degrees Celsius, while the mercury in the nearby Qazigund settled at minus 2.2 degrees Celsius.

He said the mercury in Kupwara, in north Kashmir, settled at a low of minus 2.7 degrees Celsius.

Leh, in Ladakh region of the state, recorded a low of minus 10.9 degrees Celsius, while the nearby Kargil registered a minimum of minus 9.2 degrees Celsius, the official said.

He said Leh was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir.

The MET Office has said there is possibility of light rainfall at isolated places in the valley on Wednesday.