Intense cold in Valley as Mercury dips further

The problems of residents of Kashmir division, including Ladakh region, compounded as mercury continued its downward spiral with minimum temperatures dropping by about two degrees at most places.

Many water bodies, including the famous Dal Lake, were partially frozen with the intensification in the bone-chilling cold.

Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded the minimum temperature of minus 4.2 degrees Celsius, down by almost two degrees from the previous night's minus 2.5 degrees Celsius, a MeT department spokesperson said.

Kargil, in the frontier Ladakh region, registered a low of minus 16.6 degrees Celsius, slightly down from minus 16.0 degrees the previous night.

This was the coldest night of the season so far in the town, the spokesperson said, adding Kargil was the coldest recorded place in the state.

Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir Valley in south, recorded a low of minus 4.6 degrees Celsius, slightly down from minus 4.4 degrees the previous night, he said.

The mercury in Pahalgam resort in south Kashmir, which serves as a base-camp for the annual Amarnath yatra, registered a low of minus 7.4 degrees Celsius, a drop of almost two degrees from the previous night's minus 5.6 degrees Celsius, he said.

The minimum temperature in the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg settled at minus 3.6 degrees Celsius, slightly up from the previous night's minus 4.0 degrees Celsius.

The dry weather has also resulted in increase in incidences of ailments like cough, flu and respiratory problems, especially among the children and elderly. The problems of the residents are compounded by freezing of water taps, pesky power cuts, and development of a thin layer of frost on roads.