Boatman rowing his boat in Dal Lake on rainy evening in Srinagar. The rains have brought down temperatures giving a feel of cool winter. Picture- Abid Bhat

Srinagar, January 12 : The night temperatures decreased across Kashmir with Gulmargrecording the highest plunge to remain the coldest place in the Valley, the weatherman said on Tuesday.

A meteorological department official here told that Srinagar recorded a low of minus 0.9°C against minus 0.2°C on the previous night. However, the temperature is above normal by one degree Celsius for this time of the year. Similarly, the mercury settled at minus 5.3°C in Pahalgam against minus 4.6°C on the previous night in the world-famous skiing resort. Qazigund, the gateway town of J&K, recorded a low of minus 1.4°C against0.2°C on the previous night. Kokernag recorded a low of minus 3.9°C against minus 2.0°C on the earlier night. Against minus 1.0°C on the previous night in Kupwara, the mercury settled at minus 1.8°C in the north Kashmir district, the official said.

Gulmarg, the world-famous skiing resort, recorded a low of minus 11.2°C against minus 9.6°C on the earlier night, the official said.

Kashmiris in the middle Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day winter period which commenced onDecember 21 and ends on January 31. The period is considered the harshest of the winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum.

The cold wave, however, continues even after that in Kashmir with a 20-day-long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold). Already, Kashmir Valley received heavy snowfall earlier this month, disrupting normal life.

The Weatherman has forecast “mainly dry weather” in the next24 hours and “no significant change till January 18”.