Mercury goes down to -26 degrees at Drass on R-day

Srinagar, Jan 26 (UNI) Drass, the second coldest place on earth after Siberia, celebrated the 58th Republic Day today in extreme weather conditions with mercury dipping to minus 26 degrees Celsius.

The maximum temperature at Drass in Kargil district was recorded at minus 14 degrees C.

Kargil recorded a minimum of minus 16 degrees while the maximum stood at minus 6 degrees C.

In Shia-dominated Kargil, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, Chairman and Chief Executive Councilor Haji Asghar Karbalai hoisted the national flag at the Bemathang ground without any cultural programme due to Moharram.

At Drass, people, in large number braved the extreme cold weather conditions to witness the unfurling of the tri-colour by Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Haji Khadim Hussain.

Weather office here said the minimum temperature recorded at Srinagar was minus 0.6 degreeS while the maximum stood at 14.0 degrees.

The Met office predicted rains and snow at isolated places and mainly dry weather in plains.

UNI