Cold wave continues in Kashmir, Kargil coldest at -19.2 deg C

Cold wave continued in Kashmir Valley and Ladakh region as the minimum temperature in most parts settled below the freezing point, with the frontier town of Kargil being the coldest place in the state at over minus 19 degrees Celsius.

Kargil was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir with the mercury settling at minus 19.2 degrees Celsius last night as against the previous night's minus 18.4 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature in summer capital Srinagar continued to settle above the freezing point for the fourth day today as the city recorded a low of 0.6 degrees Celsius as against 0.9 degrees Celsius the previous night, an official of the MeT Department here said.

Mercury in Qazigund -- the gateway town to Kashmir valley --settled at minus 0.4 degrees Celsius as against minus 1.0 degrees Celsius the previous night.

Kokernag, in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 1.7 degrees Celsius as compared to the previous night's minus 1.3 degrees Celsius.

Mercury in the tourist resort of Pahalgam, also in south Kashmir, settled at a low of minus 5.6 degrees Celsius -- almost same as the previous night's low of minus 5.5 deg C.

The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg registered a low of minus 8.2 degrees Celsius as compared to minus 8.4 degrees Celsius the previous night.

Kupwara, in north Kashmir, recorded a low of 0.6 degrees Celsius, he said.

Leh, in the frontier region of Ladakh, recorded a low of minus 12.3 degrees Celsius, over eight degrees down from the minus 4 degrees C the previous night.

Image: The minimum temperature in Srinagar continued to settle above the freezing point for the fourth day on Saturday

Photograph: Danish Ismail/Reuters