Slight respite from cold conditions in Kashmir

Srinagar, Feb 14: There was a slight respite from cold wave conditions in Kashmir as the minimum temperature rose marginally across several places in the Valley, even as Meteorological Department predicted mostly dry weather for three days starting on Sunday, Feb 14.

Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, registered a low of 1.2 degrees Celsius compared to 0.5 degree Celsius the previous night, an official of the MeT Department here said.

He said there was an improvement of three notches in night temperature in the south Kashmir towns of Qazigund and Kokernag as they recorded a minimum of 1.0 degree Celsius and minus 0.9 degree Celsius, respectively.

The ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir, a star attraction for tourists visiting the Valley during winter, recorded a low of minus 7.8 degrees Celsius -- an increase from the previous night's minus 8.2 degrees Celsius, the official said.

Kupwara town in north Kashmir, which had witnessed a low of minus 2.6 degrees Celsius the previous night, registered the minimum of minus 1.5 degrees Celsius, the official said.

He said the hill resort of Pahalgam which serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath yatra during summer, was the only place in the Valley where the night temperature dropped as it recorded a low of minus 6.7 degrees Celsius.

The resort had recorded a low of minus 3.6 degrees Celsius on the previous night, the official said. He said the mercury in Leh, in Ladakh region, plunged nine notches to record a low of minus 12.9 degrees Celsius.

Leh was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the weather is likely to remain mainly dry for three days, adding that there is a possibility of another brief spell of wet weather in the Valley from February 17.

PTI