SRINAGAR: There was slight respite from intense cold conditions in Kashmir as the minimum temperature rose across the valley and Ladakh region on Saturday night, even as the mercury continued to remain several degrees below the freezing point. The night temperature across the valley and Ladakh region increased on Saturday night, providing slight respite to citizens from the intense cold wave-like conditions, MET Officials said.Srinagar the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir recorded a low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius last night a degree up from the previous night, the officials said. They said Qazigund the gateway town to the valley - in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 4.2 degrees Celsius, while the nearby Kokernag town registered a low of minus 3.8 degrees Celsius last night. Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 5.6 degrees Celsius last night, they said. The night temperature in Pahalgam, which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath yatra in south Kashmir, settled at a low of minus 6.7 degrees Celsius on Saturday night, the officials said, adding the resort was colder than Gulmarg and the coldest place in the valley.The ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded the minimum temperature of minus 5.5 degrees Celsius, they said. The officials said Leh recorded a low of minus 14.3 degrees Celsius on Saturday night up from minus 15.8 degrees Celsius the previous night which was the coldest night of the season in the frontier town.The nearby Kargil recorded a low of minus 14.5 degrees Celsius, they added. Kashmir is currently under the grip of 'Chillai-Kalan' the 40-day harshest period of winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably.

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