Srinagar: Mercury dropped to minus 3.0°C in Srinagar even as other places recorded a slight increase on Saturday, officials said.

A meteorological department official said  that Srinagar, the summer capital of the J&K, recorded a fall of nearly 0.8°C against last night’s minus 2.2°C.

Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, witnessed a low of minus 3.2°C against minus 3.2°C on the previous night, he said.

Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, had a low of minus 3.5°C against minus 3.6°C on the previous night, the official said.

Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 8.1°C against minus 9.4°C last night, he said.

Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 7.8°C against minus 10.2°C on the previous night, he said.

The temperature was 1.6°C below normal for this time of the year in the famous resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.

Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 4.0°C against minus 3.9°C on the previous night, the official said.

While the ‘Chillai Kalan’, the 40-day long harshest period of winter ended on January 30, Kashmir is under the grip of the 20-day long ‘Chillai Khurd’ which would be followed by 10-day-long ‘Chilla Bachha’.

Jammu recorded a low of 6.0°C against previous night’s 5.3°C, the official said. The temperature was 4.1°C below normal for the J&K’s winter capital during this time of the year, he said.

Banihal recorded a low of 3.4°C, Batote had a minimum of 3.6°C while Bhaderwah recorded a low of minus 0.6°C, the official said.

Ladakh’s Leh recorded a low of minus 15.4°C against last night minus 15.8°C while mercury at automatic station in Kargil settled at minus 18.6°C. Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 25.2°C, same as on the previous night, official said. The weatherman has forecast dry weather for next couple of days. (GNS)

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