Mercury dips further across Valley, Leh shivers at minus 8.5

Entire Kashmir Valley continued to reel under the cold spell as mercury stayed below the freezing point in the region with Leh in Ladakh region recording the coldest night of the season with a low of minus 8.5 degrees Celsius, officials said.

However, sun shone brightly in the Valley today, providing relief to the people from the freezing cold and also making way for normal hustle and bustle in the weekly flea market in the heart of the city.

The minimum temperature recorded in Srinagar was minus 0.9 degrees Celsius - one degree below normal during this part of the season.

The night temperature in the summer capital plunged below the freezing point for the first time this season yesterday when the city recorded a low of minus 0.5 degrees Celsius, a MET spokesman office said.

Leh also recorded a further drop in the night temperature which settled at a low of minus 8.5 degrees Celsius against yesterday's minus 7.1 degrees C, making the frontier town the coldest place in the region.

The Kargil town registered the minimum temperature of minus 7.2 degrees against yesterday's minus 6.6 degrees.

The famous ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 3.8 degrees, higher than yesterday's 4.6 degrees, the spokesman said adding that Pahalgam resort in south - which serves as a base camp for the annual Amarnath yatra - recorded a low of minus 3.7 degrees, slightly lower than yesterday's minus 3.5 degrees.

Kupwara town in north Kashmir settled at a low of minus 1.6 degrees, as against yesterday's minus 1.1 degrees.

Qazigund – the gateway town to Kashmir Valley – shivered at a low of minus 1.8 degree, as compared to yesterday's minus 0.8 degrees.

Kokernag, in south, was the only recorded place in Kashmir Valley where the minimum temperature stayed above the freezing point at 0.4 degree, a drop 0.4 degrees compared to previous night, he said.

The MET office has said the weather is likely to remain dry over the next week and there is possibility of further drop in the temperature.