Leh coldest place in Valley

Srinagar, Dec 1 (PTI) Leh in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir was the coldest recorded place in the state as the mercury settled several degrees below the freezing point there. Most places in the valley also witnessing a decrease in the night temperature. Leh town recorded a low of minus 11.3 degrees Celsius down nearly two degrees from the previous night’s minus 9.4 degrees Celsius, an official of the MET department here said. He said the nearby Kargil town, also witnessed a slight drop in the night temperature as the mercury there settled at minus 7.4 degrees Celsius, compared to minus 7 degrees Celsius the previous night. Srinagar – the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir – recorded the minimum temperature of minus 2.9 degrees Celsius down 1.2 degrees from the previous night. The official said the mercury in Qazigund in south Kashmir settled at a low of minus 2.4 degrees Celsius, also a decrease of 1.2 degrees from the previous night. He said Kokernag town, also in south Kashmir, was the only place in Kashmir division where the night temperature stayed above the freezing point. The town recorded a low of 0.5 degree Celsius. Kupwara town in north Kashmir registered a low of minus 2.4 degrees Celsius, he said. Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius, a degree down from the previous night, the official said. He said the health resort of Pahalgam registered the minimum of minus 5.1 degrees Celsius, a dip of over a degree from the previous night’s 4 degrees Celsius. The MET department has forecast mainly dry weather in Kashmir and Ladakh over the next few days.PTI