J&K remains in grip of cold wave, Leh at minus 12 deg C

, Nov 16:

continued to be in the grip of

wave as Leh in

region recorded a low of minus 12 degrees Celsius on Friday night. Srinagar, the summer capital of the state, witnessed a slight improvement in the night temperature as the mercury rose to minus 2.1 degrees Celsius as compared to yesterday's minus 2.6 degrees Celsius, a MeT Department official said.

He said the minimum temperature in Srinagar was 2.5 degrees below the normal for this part of the season and it continued to remain below the freezing point for the fifth consecutive day. Leh, in the frontier region of Ladakh, continues to be the coldest place in the state. The town, 434 kms from here, recorded a low of minus 12.0 degrees Celsius as compared to yesterday's minus 11.0 degrees Celsius, he said.

Kargil was the second coldest place with minus seven degrees Celsius.

The nearby Kargil town was the second coldest place in the state with a low of minus seven degrees Celsius, he said. Pahalgam, a health resort which serves as a base camp during annual Amarnath yatra in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 4.6 degrees Celsius, while the famous ski resort of Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 1.8 degrees Celsius.

He said Kupwara, Kokernag and Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir Valley, also registered sub zero temperatures last night. The MeT Department has forecast mainly dry weather across Kashmir division over the next 24 hours.

PTI