Coldest December night in Srinagar in 28 years

Srinagar, Dec 27 (IANS) Srinagar witnessed the coldest night of the season as the city shivered at minus 7.6 degree Celsius, the Met Office said on Thursday. After December 7, 1990, when the minimum temperature had dropped to minus 8.8 degree Celsius, the city recorded the coldest night of the season at minus 7.6 degree, breaking the December 31, 2007 record of minus 7.2 degree, an official of the Met department said. Water taps, lakes, ponds and other water bodies were frozen in and around Srinagar in the morning. Very few people ventured out of their homes due to the bone-chilling cold outside. Pahalgam recorded minus 8.3 degree Celsius, and the minimum temperature in Gulmarg was minus 9 degree Celsius. Leh recorded minus 8.4 degree and it was minus 16.2 degree in Kargil. Drass was the coldest town in Jammu and Kashmir at minus 20.6 degree Celsius. The maximum temperature in the town on Wednesday was minus 8 degree Celsius. Jammu recorded 4.3 degrees, Katra 3.7 degrees, Batote minus 2.2 degree, Bannihal minus 3.5 degree and Bhaderwah minus 2.5 degree as the night's lowest temperature.