Cold wave conditions intensify in Kashmir

Srinagar: The cold conditions in Kashmir division, including Ladakh region, intensified further as mercury dipped to season's lowest at many places, including Srinagar.

Srinagar recorded the coldest night of this winter as mercury settled at a low of minus 3.5 degrees Celsius as against the previous night’s minus 3.4 degrees Celsius, an official of the MeT Department said.

Tourist resort of Pahalgam recorded lowest night temperature at minus 7.2 degrees Celsius as against previous night's low of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius. While high altitudes of Valley, including the ski resort of Gulmarg, experienced light snowfall on Wednesday ending over a month-long dry spell.

Mercury in Gulmarg settled at a low of minus 5.4 degrees Celsius as compared to previous night’s minus 6.1 degrees Celsius. Qazigiund, the gateway town to Kashmir, recorded a minimum temperature of minus 4.3 degrees Celsius as compared to previous night’s minus 4.0 degrees Celsius.

Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a drop of over two degrees as the minimum settled at minus 5.1 degrees Celsius as against minus 2.5 degrees Celsius the previous night. Kokernag in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 3.8 degrees Celsius against the previous night’s minus 2.4 degrees Celsius.

Leh remained the coldest place in the state by recording a temperature of minus 13 degrees Celsius as against the previous night’s minus 11.8 degrees Celsius, he said.

Kargil town, too, had the coldest night of the winter so far as the minimum temperature recorded a drop of over one degree with the mercury settling at a low of minus 10.4 degrees Celsius as against the previous night’s minus 9.2 degrees Celsius.

The MeT Department has said the weather would remain dry for the next 24 hours.