Coldest night in Srinagar, mercury dips to minus 5.6 deg C

The summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir recorded it coldest night of the season with mercury dipping to minus 5.6 degrees Celsius, with thin layer of ice forming on waterbodies here, Met officials said.

Srinagar broke its earlier record of minus 5.2 deg C, noted last week, as mercury dropped 4 notches below normal in the night, they said.

As a result of dip in minimum temperature, a thin layer of ice was formed on the water bodies, including the famous Dal Lake. Boatmen were seen breaking ice sheet with the paddles while rowing in the lake this morning.

However, Leh in Ladakh was the coldest place in the state with a low of minus 17.2 deg C, followed by Kargil which recorded a minimum of minus 11 deg C.

Famous ski resort Gulmarg, an attraction for tourists visiting the Valley in winter, was the coldest place in Kashmir with a low of minus 7.5 deg C.

Pahalgam hill resort, which serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath yatra, was the second coldest place in the Valley with thermometer reading to minus 7 deg C in night, the Met department said.