Srinagar: Leh, in Ladakh region, and Srinagar city in the Valley recorded the coldest night this winter as mercury continued its downward slide, resulting in freezing of water supply lines and water bodies.
In Leh, the mercury plummeted to the season’s lowest of minus 13.6 degrees against Friday’s minus 13.2 degrees Celsius, an official of the MeT department said here.
Srinagar also recorded the season's lowest night temperature of minus 4.5 degrees Celsius, down from previous night’s minus 3.6 degrees Celsius.
Pahalgam health resort in south Kashmir recorded minus 7.3 degrees Celsius, down from minus 6.2 degrees Celsius twenty- four hours earlier, the official said, adding it was the coldest night of the season at the resort.
The mercury at the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg, in north Kashmir, settled at a low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius. Kokernag town in south Kashmir registered a low of minus 3.3 degrees Celsius, while the north Kashmir town of Kupwara recorded a low minus 4.7 degrees Celsius, the official said.
He said Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir, registered the minimum of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius. The sub-zero temperatures have resulted in freezing of water supply lines in many areas of the Valley while fringes of several water bodies were also frozen.
The Meteorological Department has forecast mainly dry weather in the state over the week ahead, which could lead to further drop in the night temperature.
Cold condition continued in Patna and other parts of Bihar also as the temperature went down further, though slightly.
Meanwhile, moderate fog cover was on Saturday witnessed in the national capital, leading to delay in 52 rail services and re-scheduling of 12 others. Flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport though were normal, airport officials said.
According to a MeT department official, visibility was recorded at 1500 metres at 5:30 am. Three hours later, it dropped to 400 metres. The minimum temperature settled at 8.2 degrees Celsius, considered as normal for the ongoing season. Relative humidity was recorded at 92 percent at 8:30 am.
“52 trains were running behind schedules. Also, 12 trains required to be rescheduled due to poor visibility due to fog,” a railway official said.
