Kargil records coldest night of season at minus 15.4 degrees Celsius

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir's Kargil town experienced the coldest night of the winter so far as the mercury there settled at minus 15.4 degrees Celsius, even as most places in the valley witnessed sub-zero minimum temperature, an official said.

He said the mercury has been on a downward spiral for the past one week in the town.

Leh town recorded a low of minus 13.2 degrees Celsius last night over two degrees down from the previous night's minus 11.0 degrees Celsius, said the official from the Meteorological Department (MeT).

The official said Srinagar - the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir recorded the minimum temperature of minus 3.6 degrees Celsius down from the previous night's minus 1.8 degrees Celsius.

He said the mercury in Qazigund in south Kashmir settled at a low of minus 3.2 degrees Celsius, slightly down from minus 2.8 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag town recorded a low of minus 2.4 degrees Celsius.

Kupwara town in north Kashmir registered a low of minus 3.5 degrees Celsius, the official said.

The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 4.6 degrees Celsius last night compared to the previous night's minus 6.0 degrees Celsius.

He said the mercury at Pahalgam - the famous health resort which also serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra - dipped nearly two degrees from minus 5.3 degrees Celsius the previous night to register the minimum temperature of minus 7.0 degrees Celsius.

The MeT office has forecast mainly dry weather in the state over the next few days.