Cold wave intensifies in Kashmir; Leh freezes at -8.8°C

The Kashmir Valley and Ladakh region continue to reel under intense cold wave as temperatures dipped to below freezing point on Saturday.

An official at the MeT Department said Srinagar recorded a minimum of - 0.6 degrees Celsius on Friday night. South Kashmir's famous hill resort of Pahalgam, which serves as a base camp during the annual Amarnath yatra, was the coldest recorded place in the Valley with low of - 4.6 degrees Celsius while famous ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a minimum of - 2.2 degrees Celsius.
 
In the frontier region of Ladakh, Leh was the coldest place in the state with the night temperature dropping to - 8.8 degrees Celsius, the official said. The minimum temperature in neighbouring Kargil town also recorded a dip of few notches to settle at - 7.6 degrees Celsius.
 
The MeT office has predicted dry weather in the state during the next 48 hours and further fall in night temperature during the next four days.
 
The extreme hill across Kashmir has resulted in immense hardships to the residents with water freezing in supply lines in several areas. People are facing difficulty in starting their vehicles early in the morning due to the intense cold.

Read more: Mercury drops below freezing as rains, snow lash Valley