Leh freezes at minus 17.2 degree celsius

The minimum temperature across the Kashmir Valley rose by several degrees even though it remained below the freezing point with Leh town recording a chilling minus of 17.2 degrees Celsius.

Even though Leh town in the remote Ladakh region witnessed a comparatively warmer night, the mercury there settled at a low of minus 17.2 degrees Celsius, an increase of 1.6 degrees from Sunday, a MeT official said.

Leh had on Sunday recorded this season's lowest of minus 18.8 degrees Celsius.

Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, witnessed a freezing minus 3.6 degrees Celsius, which was an increase of 1.3 degrees from Sunday, the official said.

The summer capital Srinagar on Sunday recorded 4.9 degrees Celsius, which for the second time was this season's lowest temperature here.

The south Kashmir resort of Pahalgam recorded an increase of three degrees in the night temperatures as the minimum there rose from Sunday's minus 7.0 degrees Celsius to minus 3.0 deg C, he said.

The north Kashmir skiing resort of Gulmarg, the star attraction for tourists visiting the Valley during winter, recorded a minimum temperature of minus 7.6 degrees Celsius, an increase of 0.4 degree as compared to the previous night, the official said.

The gateway town of Qazigund in south Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 1.6 deg C, an increase of 3.4 degrees from Sunday, while north Kashmir Kupwara town recorded a minimum of minus 2.7 deg C, an increase of two degrees as compared to Sunday.

There has been a drastic drop in temperature since 'Chillai Kalan', a forty-day period of extreme chilling weather, which began on December 21.