Slight respite from cold conditions in Kashmir Valley

The minimum temperature in Srinagar settled above the freezing point on Monday, providing residents some relief from cold conditions, the MET Office said. Srinagar city recorded a minimum temperature of 0.6 degrees Celsius, up from the minus 0.2 degrees Celsius on Sunday, a MET official said.

He said the night temperature in the city was above the freezing point for the first time in recent days and it was 1.6 degrees above normal for this part of the season. In Qazigund - the gateway town to the valley in south Kashmir, the minimum settled at a low of 0.8 degrees Celsius- an increase of 1.5 degrees from the previous night's minus 0.7 degrees Celsius.

The night temperature in Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir settled at a low of minus 10.4 degrees Celsius – down over seven degrees from the minus 3 degrees Celsius on Sunday and Pahalgam was the coldest recorded place in the Kashmir Valley, the official added.

The ski-resort of Gulmarg, in north Kashmir, registered a minimum of minus 10.2 degrees Celsius, the official added. The night temperature in Kokernag in south settled at a low of minus 0.8 degrees Celsius, while Kupwara in north recorded a low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius, the official said. Leh in Ladakh Union Territory recorded a low of minus 18.4 degrees Celsius, he said, adding the nearby Drass registered a minimum of minus 27.8 degrees Celsius.