Srinagar, Nov 14 (PTI) Leh and Kargil witnessed coldestnights this winter as the temperature at the two stationsdipped several degrees below the freezing point even asKashmir Valley saw the mercury rise above freezing point owingto a cloud cover.
Leh recorded a minimum temperature of minus 6.3 degreesCelsius last night and was the coldest place in the state, aMeT department official said.
He said it was the coldest night recorded in the Ladakhregion this winter.
Kargil town also recorded a sub-zero temperature as themercury settled at minus 5.2 degrees Celsius last night, hesaid.
Srinagar city, which witnessed its first sub-zero nightyesterday, recorded a low of 2.9 degrees, an increase of 3.6degrees from the previous night, the official said.
The rise in temperature has been due to the cloud coverover most parts of the valley, which is predicted to bring inrain in the next 24 to 48 hours.
The minimum temperature at other places across thevalley, except in Kupwara, stayed above the freezing point.
While Kokernag in south Kashmir recorded a low of 5.0degrees Celsius, the mercury in nearby Qazigund settled at 1.6degrees Celsius, the official said.
He said Pahalgam, also in south, registered a low of0.8 degrees Celsius, while the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg innorth Kashmir recorded the minimum of 0.0 degree Celsius.
The mercury in Kupwara, in north Kashmir, settled at alow of minus 0.7 degrees Celsius, the official said.
The MeT Office has forecast scattered to fairlywidespread rainfall from today till November 18.
The expected rainfall would end the prevalent dry spellin the valley which has given rise to ailments like cough andcommon cold. PTI MIJRCJ.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.