Kashmir Valley gripped by intense cold wave

SRINAGAR: Cold wave intensified its grip in Kashmir Valley as the minimum temperatures dropped in most places, even as some parts received light rainfall last night.
Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir recorded a low of 0.4 degree Celsius last night, down from 1.2 degree Celsius the previous night, a MET Department official here said.
He said the mercury in Qazigund – the gateway town to Kashmir valley – settled at minus 1.6 degree Celsius, as against the previous night’s minus 1.1 degree Celsius.
The official said the town received 9.0 mm of rainfall.
The mercury in the tourist resort of Pahalgam, in south Kashmir, decreased by over four degrees to register a low of minus 10.2 degrees Celsius compared to minus 5.7 degrees Celsius previous night, the official said.
The resort received 9.8 mm of rainfall during the night, he said.
He said the minimum temperature in the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg increased by degrees to settle at a low of minus 9.4 degrees Celsius as against the previous night’s minus 10.4 degrees Celsius.
The mercury in Kokernag, in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 4.3 degrees Celsius last night, as against the previous night’s minimum of minus 5.7 degrees Celsius.
The town received 11.4 mm of rainfall, the official said.
He said the mercury in north Kashmir’s Kupwara, which recorded a low of minus 0.4 degree Celsius the previous night, decreased by almost two notches to settle at minus 2.3 degree Celsius last night.
Leh, in Ladakh region, recorded a low of minus 9.2 degrees Celsius as against minus 9.0 degrees Celsius the previous night.
Kargil was the coldest recorded place in the state as the mercury went down by over two degrees to settle at a low of minus 17.8 degrees Celsius compared to the previous night’s minus 15.4 degrees Celsius, the official said.
The MET Department has said the weather would remain mainly dry over the state over the next 24 hours. (AGENCIES)