The cold wave sweeping across Kashmir intensified on Tuesday as minimum temperatures in most parts of the valley dipped several degrees below the freezing point, officials said.
Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 3.1°C, making it the second coldest night of the season. The city had witnessed its coldest night on Monday when temperatures dropped to minus 3.2°C, according to MET officials.
South Kashmir’s Shopian was the coldest place in the valley, with temperatures plunging to minus 5.4°C, followed closely by Pulwama, which recorded a minimum of minus 5.0°C.
In Anantnag district, the tourist resort of Pahalgam, a key base camp for the Amarnath Yatra, registered a low of minus 4.4°C, while the popular ski destination Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 1.2°C.
Meanwhile, Zojila Pass, the crucial high-altitude stretch connecting Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, witnessed extreme cold as temperatures fell to minus 16°C.
The Kashmir valley has been experiencing a prolonged dry spell since October, and the MET Office has predicted dry weather for the coming week, offering little relief from the prevailing cold wave conditions.(KINS)
