In Kashmir, mercury plunges after brief respite, Shopian freezes at -6.4°C
On Thursday night, the temperature settled above the freezing point at most places in the Valley, providing huge relief to the residents from the biting cold conditions
Night temperatures in Kashmir dropped several degrees below the freezing point, even as a thick layer of fog engulfed parts of the Valley, with Srinagar recording a low of -4.1° Celsius, officials said on Saturday. Shopian was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir as the mercury there settled at a low of -6.4° C, they said. The mercury had on Thursday night settled above the freezing point at most places in the Valley, providing huge relief to the residents from the biting cold conditions. However, temperatures dropped across Kashmir on Friday night, bringing back the freezing cold, the officials said.
On Friday night, the minimum temperature in Srinagar settled at -4.1° C, a sharp drop from 0.4° C the previous night, the officials said. The gateway town to the Valley, Qazigund, recorded a low of -4.2° C, while the mercury settled at -3.5° C in north Kashmir’s Kupwara, and -0.2° C in south Kashmir’s Kokernag, the officials said.
Pahalgam recorded -4.4° C, while Gulmarg lodged -2.6° C and Konibal town in Pulwama district recorded -5.2° C, they said.
The meteorological department said the weather would remain generally cloudy but dry on December 6-7, and a brief spell of light snowfall at isolated places in the higher reaches of north and central Kashmir is likely on December 8.
