Srinagar- A severe cold wave continued across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Friday, with several places recording a further dip in minimum temperatures compared to the previous night.
Srinagar recorded the coldest night of the season at minus 6.0 degrees Celsius, down from minus 5.1 degrees a day earlier. The minimum temperature at Srinagar airport dropped to minus 7.4 degrees from minus 6.8 degrees.
Qazigund registered minus 6.2 degrees compared to minus 5.4 degrees the previous night, while Anantnag recorded minus 7.1 degrees, down from minus 6.3 degrees.
In south Kashmir, Pulwama settled at minus 7.5 degrees against minus 6.8 degrees a day earlier, while Kupwara recorded minus 5.8 degrees, down from minus 5.1 degrees.
Gulmarg witnessed a relatively warmer night at minus 7.2 degrees Celsius compared to minus 9.2 degrees the previous night.
In the Jammu region, night temperatures also fell at several places. Jammu recorded a minimum of 5.6 degrees Celsius, down from 7.1 degrees, while Banihal slipped below freezing at minus 0.9 degrees compared to 3.7 degrees on Thursday.
Udhampur recorded minus 1.0 degree against 2.0 degrees a day earlier, while Rajouri saw a slight dip to minus 1.7 degrees from minus 1.0 degree.
Ladakh continued to reel under extreme cold conditions. Drass, the coldest place in the region, recorded minus 24.6 degrees Celsius, nearly unchanged from minus 24.7 degrees a day earlier.
Leh settled at minus 14.4 degrees compared to minus 14.6 degrees, while Nyoma witnessed a sharper fall to minus 21.6 degrees from minus 20.1 degrees. Padum recorded minus 20.3 degrees against minus 17.2 degrees on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department said no significant weather activity is expected across the region till January 21. It forecast the possibility of light snowfall at isolated higher reaches on January 22 and 23.
Officials said minimum temperatures are likely to fall further till January 10 and then rise gradually by one to two degrees Celsius thereafter. Dense fog is also expected at a few places in the Jammu division over the next five days, the MeT said.
