Srinagar, December 26 (KMS): The occupied valley witnessed the coldest night of the season with temperature plummeting nearly four degree below the freezing point even as parts of many water bodies including the Dal lake were frozen due to the intense cold.

The residents of Srinagar woke up to the rare phenomenon as a thin layer of ice due to the extremely low night temperature covered the surface of the Dal Lake. Ghulam Mohammad Wani, who lives on the banks of the Dalgate Lake, said the ice layer was thicker towards the edges and thinner towards the middle of the lake.

An official of the Meteorological Department said that the temperature recorded in the city last night was minus 3.9 degree Celsius, which was the lowest of this winter so far. The previous record low temperature for this season was recorded yesterday at minus 3.4 degree Celsius.

Kargil continued to be the coldest place in the occupied territory with a maximum of minus one degree Celsius and a minimum of minus 18.2 degrees.

The extended dry spell in the Valley has resulted in many common ailments like cold, cough and respiratory problems among the people particularly the children and elderly.
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