SRINAGAR: Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, witnessed the coldest night after 30 years at minus 8.8 degree Celsius.
A meteorological department official said the minimum temperature in Srinagar plummeted to minus 8.8 degree Celsius, resulting in freezing of water bodies including Dal Lake as well as water supply pipes.
“After 30 years, Srinagar recorded the coldest night. Last time such severe cold hit the city in the year 1991 when the mercury dipped to minus 11.8 degrees Celsius while the lowest ever temperature was recorded on January 31, 1893, when the mercury had plummeted to minus 14.4 degrees Celsius,” said the Met official.
He said that from today onwards there is going to be a perceptible improvement in the night temperatures in both J&K.
He added that the maximum temperature was 2 degrees Celsius in Srinagar on Saturday which is also the lowest maximum recorded this season.
Kokernag in south Kashmir was the coldest place in the Valley where minimum temperature was minus 13.1 degrees.
Pahalgam – the famous health resort which also serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra recorded a low of minus 12.0 degrees Celsius.
Gulmarg a famous ski-resort recorded a low of minus 8.0 degrees while the mercury in Qazigund in south Kashmir settled at a low of minus 10.2 degrees Celsius.
Kupwara town in north Kashmir registered a low of minus 4.7 degrees Celsius last night.
Jammu city recorded 5.8 degrees Celsius, Katra 5.4, Batote 1.1, Banihal recorded 0.6 and Bhaderwah recorded minus 1.5 degrees Celsius as the night’s lowest temperatures.
