Mercury settles above freezing point in Kashmir Valley

Srinagar: Barring Ladakh and high altitude areas of Kashmir, the night temperature at most places in the Valley settled above freezing point due to overcast conditions even as Met Department predicted another spell of wet weather during the next three days.

"Light rain or snow could occur at isolated places during the next 24 hours followed by fairly widespread rain or snow on February 4 and 5 under the influence of western disturbance," a spokesman of the MET department said.

The night temperature in plains of the Valley registered a remarkable improvement to settle above freezing point but the high altitude areas, which recorded heavy snowfall last month, continue to reel under freezing temperatures, he said.

Leh town in Ladakh region registered a low of minus 11.9 degrees Celsius against 13.1 degrees Celsius of the previous night, making it the coldest recorded place in the state, the spokesman said.

He said Leh is followed by nearby Kargil where the night temperature settled at minus 10.4 degrees Celsius against minus 11.2 of yesterday.

The famous hill resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir, which serves as the base camp for annual Amarnath yatra, registered an improvement of four degrees in the minimum temperature which settled at minus 3 degrees Celsius, the spokesman said.

The famous ski resort of Gulmarg, the star attraction for tourists visiting the Valley during winter, was the coldest recorded place in the Valley after the night temperature plummeted to minus 7.6 degrees Celsius from minus 6 degrees Celsius yesterday.

The spokesman said Srinagar also recorded a dip of one degree in the night temperature which settled at 0.9 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature at Qazigund, Kupwara and Kokernag towns registered an improvement to settle at 0.6, 0.5 and 1.5 degrees Celsius, respectively, the spokesman said.