SRINAGAR: Capital Srinagar recorded lowest temperature at night so far this winter, an official said on Tuesday.
Minimum temperature in almost all parts of the valley and Ladakh region stayed below freezing point. The MET department has forecast dry weather across Kashmir division over the next 24 hours.
Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 0.7 degrees Celsius on Monday night. This is first time the mercury has fallen below the freezing point in the city this winter, the MeT officials said.
They said Gulmarg was the coldest place in the Valley where the minimum temperature was minus 3.4 degrees Celsius.
The officials said Pahalgam in south Kashmir recorded minus 4.0 degrees Celsius while the Valley’s gateway town, Qazigund, recorded minus 0.8 degrees Celsius.
Kupwara was the only place in the Valley where minimum temperature stayed marginally above freezing point at 0.9 degrees Celsius, they added.
Although some parts of Kashmir received a slight drizzle over the weekend, the general dry atmospheric conditions have resulted in a sharp increase in common ailments like allergies, cold, fever, chest infections and sore throat.
Most affected are children, elderly and those with history of respiratory problems like asthma, a doctor here in Srinagar hospital said.
Leh town in Ladakh region was the coldest recorded place in the state where mercury plunged to minus 7.1 degrees Celsius last night while the nearby town of Kargil was the coldest recorded minus 7.6 degrees Celsius.
