SRINAGAR: All water bodies, including ponds and khuls, were frozen in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, where people in the Valley continued to shiver under sub zero temperature during the night though the sun was playing hide and seek since this morning.
A Met department spokesman said here that weather is likely to remain dry during the next 72 hours in the state. As a result, the minimum temperature will witness further drop in the Valley and Ladakh region.
Almost all water bodies, including ponds, khuls and some rivers, freezed as the mercury witnessed further drop in the Ladakh region, where two district headquarters of Leh and Kargil recorded coldest night of the season so far.
Due to open sky during the night, the minimum temperature dipped further and settled at minus 9 degree against earlier coldest of minus 8.5 degree recorded yesterday at Leh, the spokesman said.
The local authorities have stopped supplying water through pipes, particularly from evenings till mornings and water tankers are being used for water supply to consumers. However, in the far-flung and remote areas, people are using spring water which remains warm during winter and cold in summer.
Similarly water bodies in the border town of Kargil were also seen frozen as the minimum temperature fell to minus 9.7 degree, coldest so far against yesterday’s minus 7.2 degree. Earlier, minimum temperature was minus 7.3 degree recorded on November 22.
People here, continued to shiver as there was no change in the minimum temperature which remained minus 0.9 degree, two degree below normal. This was the lowest so far. Despite chilly winds, sun appeared in the morning in the city. However, as the day progressed sun was playing hide and seek, adding further chill.
World famous ski resort of Gulmarg remained coldest in the Valley. Against yesterday’s minus 3.8 degree, the minimum temperature at the winter destination was minus 3.6 degree, a notch below normal. However, the coldest night of the season so far was recorded on November 5 when the mercury dropped to minus 5.5 degree.
Pahalgam, a famous health resort in south Kashmir, was second coldest place in the valley though there was slight improvement in the minimum temperature. Against yesterday’s minus 3.7 degree, coldest so far, it was minus 3.4 degree, more than two notches below normal.
Qazigund, gateway of Kashmir on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway recorded minus 1.2 degree while at Kupwara in north Kashmir it was minus 1.7 degree, coldest so far. (UNI)
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