Kashmir continues to shiver as mercury plummets further

The minimum temperature in Kashmir Valley dropped again after a day’s respite, while the mercury appreciated in Ladakh region by over a degree, even as dry weather continues to prevail over the state.

In Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, the night temperature registered a drop of over two degrees from the previous night’s low of minus 2 degrees Celsius to settle at - 4.4 degree Celsius, a spokesman of the MeT office said.

Qazigund, the gateway town to KashmirValley in south, recorded a low of -3.8 degree Celsius compared to -3.4 degree Celsius the previous night, he said.

The mercury in Pahalgam resort in south Kashmir, which serves as a base-camp for the annual Amarnath yatra, registered a decrease of over three degrees from -3.0 degree Celsius the previous night to settle at -6.4 degrees Celsius, he said.

The spokesman said the minimum temperature in the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg settled at -5.6 degree Celsius, down by over two degrees from the previous night’s -3.0 degree Celsius.

The minimum temperature in Leh increased by over a degree to settle at -12.2 degree Celsius compared to the previous night’s low of -13.6 degrees Celsius, the spokesman said.

Kargil was the coldest recorded place in the state. The MeT office has said the weather would continue to remain mainly dry and cold over the state over the next few days.

Image: People try to seek warmth from a fire on the road side as temperatures continue to drop in the North. Photograph: PTI photo