Kashmir grapples in cold wave bringing mercury to freezing point

An intense cold wave gripped the Kashmir Valley on Saturday bringing the minimum temperatures several notches below the freezing point, the weather office said. "Due to a clear night sky, the minimum temperatures have dropped across Jammu and Kashmir. The weather is expected to remain cold and dry during the next three days, but maximum temperatures will improve during this period," a MET Department official said.

The minimum temperature was minus 5.7 degrees Celsius in Srinagar on Saturday, while in Pahalgam and Gulmarg it was minus 12.7 and minus 14.4, respectively. In the Ladakh division, Leh recorded minus 15.0 degrees Celsius, Kargil minus 19.4 and Drass minus 26.8 as their minimum temperatures. Jammu city had 4.0 degrees Celsius, Katra town 4.8, Batote minus 1.6, Bannihal 1.4 and Bhaderwah minus 4.4 as the night's lowest temperatures.