Despite sunny days, intense chill prevails in Kashmir

Despite sunshine on Monday, an intense cold wave continued in Kashmir and Ladakh region with minimum temperatures dropping further below the freezing point.

A Met department official said Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius compared to minus 0.4 degrees previous night.

Health resort Pahalgam in south Kashmir, which serves as a base camp during Annual Amarnath yatra, recorded bone-chilling minus 14.6 degrees Celsius and was the coldest recorded place in the Valley, he said. World famous ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir registered a low of minus 12.0 degrees Celsius.

Night temperature also plummeted in Leh town of cold desert Ladakh where the mercury settled at a low of minus 16.2 degrees Celsius. Kargil, also in the frontier region of Ladakh, registered a low of minus 18.8 degrees Celsius, making it the coldest recorded place in the state.

The MeT office has forecast that cold and dry conditions will prevail for few more days and the minimum temperatures are expected to fall further. The coldest period of Kashmir winter - locally known as 'Chillai Kalan' - has set in on December 21 and will end on January 30. The 40-day long 'Chillai Kalan' is considered as the harshest period of winter in the Valley.