Mercury rises in parts of Kashmir; Leh coldest in J&K

SRINAGAR: Leh continued to be the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir, even as there was some relief in the intense cold conditions with the mercury rising at most places in Kashmir Valley and Ladakh region of the state.

Leh recorded a low of minus 8.7 degrees Celsius - an increase of over two degrees from the previous night's minus 11.3 degrees Celsius, an official of the MET department said.
He said the nearby Kargil town witnessed a slight decrease in the night temperature as the mercury there settled at minus 7.6 degrees Celsius, compared to minus 7.4 degrees Celsius the previous night.

Along with Kargil, the south Kashmir town of Kokernag was the other place in Kashmir division where the night temperature went down. Kokernag recorded a low of minus 1.1 degrees Celsius compared to 0.5 degree Celsius yesterday, the official said.

Srinagar -- the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded a minimum temperature of minus 1.5 degrees Celsius, up 1.4 degrees from the previous night.The mercury in Qazigund in south Kashmir settled at a low of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius -- a slight increase from minus 2.4 degrees Celsius the previous night whereas Kupwara town in north Kashmir registered a low of minus 2.0 degrees Celsius.

Gulmarg, the famous ski-resort in north Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 2.0 degrees Celsius, over a degree up from the previous night's minus 3.4 degrees Celsius, the official said.

The famous health resort of Pahalgam, which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, registered a minimum of minus 2.5 degrees Celsius -- an increase of nearly three degrees from the previous night's minus 5.1 degrees Celsius.