Night temperature rises; Kashmir gets relief from cold conditions

Srinagar: Night temperatures in Jammu and Kashmir further increased with mercury settling above the freezing point in most parts of the Valley, giving respite to residents from severe cold conditions. Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of 0.8 degree Celsius as against the previous night`s 0.6 degree Celsius, a MET Department official said here.

The ski-resort of Gulmarg also recorded a low of 0.8 degree Celsius, up from the last night`s minus 0.6 degree Celsius, they said. The night temperature in Pahalgam, a tourist resort which serves as a base camp during annual Amarnath yatra in south Kashmir, settled at a low of minus 0.8 degree Celsius, compared to the previous night’s minus 1.0 degree Celsius. The minimum temperature in Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir valley, also increased to settle at 0.2 degree Celsius against the previous night`s minus 0.3 degree Celsius, the official said. The night temperature in south Kashmir town of Kokernag increased from the previous night`s low of 2.9 degrees Celsius to settle at a low of 3.6 degrees Celsius, he said. The minimum temperature in Kupwara, in north Kashmir, also increased from the previous night`s low of minus 2.3 deg Celsius to settle at a low of minus 0.7 deg Celsius. Leh, in Ladakh region, was the coldest recorded place in the state with the mercury settling at a low of minus 5.4 deg Celsius, compared to yesterday`s minus 6.9 deg Celsius, he said. The night temperature in the nearby Kargil town settled at a low of minus 1.8 degrees Celsius as against the previous night`s minus 2.0 degrees Celsius. The MET Department has forecast drop in night temperatures across the Valley with a possibility of light rainfall or snowfall at isolated places.