Temperatures rise in J&K, minimum temperature remains sub-zero

SRINAGAR: Night temperatures across Kashmir rose by several degrees, much to the relief of residents of the Valley, but the minimum temperature stayed sub-zero.

Kashmir Valley shivered for the last few days as the minimum temperatures hovered several degrees below the freezing point. As dry weather prevailed, water supply lines and water bodies, including the world famous Dal Lake, froze under the intense chill.

However, the spell of dry and intense cold conditions was broken as some parts of the Valley received light snowfall last night, bringing considerable improvement in the temperatures.

Leh town in the cold desert of Ladakh continued to be the coldest place in the state, despite the night temperature showing an increase of over seven degrees registering a low of -11.2 degree Celsius as against the previous night's -18.4 degree Celsius, a spokesman of the Met department said.

The minimum night temperature in the summer capital Srinagar was just a little below the freezing point at -0.4 degree Celsius, an increase of over four notches from the previous night, he said.

The minimum temperature on the previous night was -4.8 degree Celsius. Srinagar had recorded the coldest night of this winter on Saturday with a low of -5.8 degree Celsius.

The minimum night temperature in Pahalgam hill resort in south Kashmir jumped up by over six degrees to settle at -5 degree Celsius from the previous night's -11.4 degree Celsius, the spokesman said, adding the resort received a snowfall of 4 cm.

The ski-resort of Gulmarg, which shivered at a low of -8 degree Celsius the previous night, recorded a low of -6 degree Celsius, he said.

The minimum night temperature in the highway town of Qazigund in south Kashmir was -2.4 degree Celsius as against yesterday's -8.2 degree Celsius, almost up by six notches, the spokesman said.

The night temperature in Kokernag settled at a low of -3.3 degree Celsius, up by five notches from yesterday's -8.3 degree Celsius, he said, adding that Kokernag received light snowfall equivalent to 1 cm of rain.

In north Kashmir's Kupwara town, where the previous night's minimum was -5.3 degree Celsius, the minimum temperature settled at a low of -2.9 degree Celsius during the night, he said.

The night temperature in Kargil, also in the frontier region of Ladakh, settled at a minimum of -10 degree Celsius, an increase of 4.4 degrees from -14.4 degree Celsius the previous night.