Sun shines in Kashmir, but night temperatures dip

, Jan 18:

witnessed a rare sunny day today, but cold wave tightened its grip as the night temperatures in most parts of the Valley dipped further below the freezing point.

The sun shone brightly in most parts of the Valley this morning, bringing some respite from the cold days witnessed over the past week. While Ladakh region got some respite from the bone-chilling cold at night, most parts in Kashmir saw the mercury dipping further.

Srinagar, the summer capital of the state, recorded a low of minus 3.5 degree Celsius, over one degree down from the previous night's minimum of minus 2.4 degree Celsius, a MeT department official said here.

Srinagar recorded a low of minus 3.5 degree Celsius

He said the mercury in south Kashmir's Pahalgam hill resort settled at a low of minus 9.0 degree Celsius as compared to minus 8.8 degree Celsius the previous night. The official said the mercury settled at a low of minus 6.2 degree Celsius in Qazigund as compared to the previous night's minus 5.5 degree Celsius.

Kupwara in north Kashmir registered a low of minus 3.0 degrees Celsius, as against the previous night's minus 2.6 degree Celsius, the official said. He said the night temperature in south Kashmir's Kokernag went down by over three degree from minus 3.1 degree Celsius the previous night to settle at a low of minus 6.3 degree Celsius last night.

However, the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 6.0 degree Celsius last night compared to minus 7.2 degree Celsius the previous night.

The mercury in Leh, in the frontier region of Ladakh, increased by over two degrees to settle at a low of minus 8.5 degree Celsius compared to the previous night's minus 11.1 degree Celsius, the official said.

He said the nearby Kargil town recorded a low of minus 12.8 degree Celsius, an increase of over three degree as against the previous night's minus 16.2 degree Celsius.

Kargil was the coldest recorded place in the state. The MeT Department has said there would not be any large change in the weather over the next few days.

PTI