Kashmir, Ladakh reel under cold wave

The Kashmir Valley and Ladakh region continues to reel under intense cold with mercury plunging 18.4 degrees below the freezing point in Kargil on Tuesday.

An official of MeT department said Kargil town in frontier region of Ladakh, recorded the season’s coldest night as mercury plunged 18.4 degrees below the freezing point against previous night’s minus 15.5 degrees.

 In neighbouring Leh town, he said, mercury plunged 13.7 degrees below the freezing point against previous night’s minus 8.8 degrees Celsius.

Tourist resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir, which also serves as a base camp during the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded minimum temperature of minus 9.0 degrees Celsius, he said.

Famous skiing resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 7.2 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature recorded in Srinagar was minus one degree Celsius while the day temperature was 13.2 degrees Celsius, five degrees above normal, the official said.

He said the weather would remain dry and cold, especially during the nights in the next 48 hours.