Srinagar: The night temperature across Kashmir, except Gulmarg, continued to hover below the freezing point owing to continuous dry weather in the state.
Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, witnessed a low of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius compared to the previous night s minus 2.8 degrees Celsius, an official of the MET department told PTI.
He said Kupwara, in north Kashmir, was the coldest recorded place in the Valley as the mercury settled at the low of minus 3.7 degrees Celsius.
Pahalgam in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 3.2 degrees Celsius against yesterday’s minus 2.9 degrees Celsius, the official said.
He said the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir was the only place where night temperature was recorded above freezing point at 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The official said Qazigund town in south Kashmir registered the minimum of minus 2.3 degrees Celsius, compared to minus 1.6 degrees Celsius the previous night, while the nearby Kokernag town recorded the low of minus 1.3 degrees Celsius.
Leh was the coldest recorded place in Kashmir division recording the low of minus 9.4 degrees Celsius, compared to minus 8.0 degrees Celsius while nearby Kargil town registered the minimum of minus 6.8 degrees Celsius, the official said.
The prevalent dry weather in Kashmir has resulted in increase in common ailments like cough and cold among the people here.
The doctors have advised people, especially children and the elderly, to take precautions and refrain from venturing out in the mornings and evenings without covering their head and face.
The MET office has said the weather in the Valley is expected to remain mainly dry over the next 24 hours.