Cold grips North, Kashmir records lowest temperature

Cold tightened its hold over North India as mercury in the national capital touched eight degree Celsius mark while most parts of flood-hit Kashmir Valley reeled under sub zero temperature.

The minimum temperature in Delhi on Tuesday dipped further as it settled four notches below the season’s average at 8.6 degrees.

Delhiites witnessed a clear sky and the maximum was recorded at 28.1 degrees, normal for this time of the year, according to Meteorological department. Srinagar recorded the season’s lowest night temperature at minus 0.3 degrees Celsius on Monday night.A local Met department official said Srinagar recorded the season’s coldest night as mercury dipped below sub zero. Leh, in the frontier region of Ladakh, continues to be the coldest place in the state with a low of minus 10 degrees Celsius last night

The temperature in the town, 434 km from the state capital, has been receding in the past one week. Kargil, also in the frontier region of Ladakh, was the second coldest place in the state with a low of minus 9.2 degrees Celsius, he said.

Pahalgam, a health resort which serves as a base camp during the annual Amarnath Yatra in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 3.6 degrees Celsius, while the ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 2 degrees Celsius on Monday night, the official said.