Drass freezes at minus 19.5 

Srinagar, Dec 18: The minimum temperatures throughout the valley and the Ladakh region remained several notches below the freezing point.

Kargil recorded the night’s lowest temperature at minus 15.8 degrees Celsius while neighbouring Leh recorded a minimum temperature of minus 15.1, Met office said.

Drass town was the coldest in the Jammu and Kashmir at minus 19.5.

Srinagar, the summer capital of the state recorded a low of minus 4.6 while the mercury in Qazigund in south Kashmir settled at a low of minus 5.3 degrees Celsius.

Gulmarg, the famous skiing resort in north Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 7.6 degrees Celsius.

The night temperature in Pahalgam – the famous health resort which also serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra – settled at a low of minus 7.7 degrees

Kokernag town recorded a low of minus 4.8 degrees Celsius while Kupwara town in north Kashmir registered a low of minus 5.9 degrees Celsius last night.

Jammu recorded a low of 5.1 degrees Celsius while Batote recorded 3.6, Banihal recorded 0.7, and Bhaderwah recorded minus 0.6 degree Celsius.

The Met department has forecast cold, dry weather in Jammu and Kashmir during the next seven days.