Min temp rises in Valley, isolated rains or snow predicted

Srinagar: After a few days of bright sunshine, dark clouds hovered over Srinagar and other areas in Kashmir today with the Meteorological Department predicting isolated rains or snow even as the night temperature rose at many places owing to the overcast conditions.

Srinagar - the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir- recorded a low of 1.5 degrees Celsius up by over two degrees from the previous night's minus 0.9 degree Celsius, a spokesman of the MeT Department here said.

The city had experienced bright sunshine for a few days providing relief to the residents from the bone-chilling cold during the night hours.

A hill resort in south Kashmir, which serves as a base camp during the annual Amarnath yatra, also witnessed an improvement of over two notches in the night temperature which settled at minus 1.3 degrees Celsius against yesterday's minus 3.9 degrees Celsius, the spokesman said.

He said the night temperature also rose in Qazigund and Kupwara towns where a minimum of 0.4 degree Celsius and 1.2 degrees Celsius respectively was recorded.
However, the spokesman said Kokernag witnessed a slight drop in the night temperature as it settled at a low of 0.8 degree Celsius against yesterday's 1.1 degrees Celsius.

The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir, a star attraction for tourists visiting the Valley during winter, also witnessed a slight drop in the night temperature at a low of minus 7.4 degrees Celsius compared to the previous night's minus 7.0 degrees Celsius.

Leh, 434 kms from Srinagar, recorded a low of minus 9.9 degrees Celsius up from yesterday's minus 10.6 degrees Celsius, the spokesman said.

He said the nearby Kargil town witnessed an increase in the minimum temperature which settled at minus 8.2 degrees Celsius against the previous night's minus 10.0 degrees Celsius.