*Kashmir Shivers as Mercury Dips Again; Pahalgam Coldest at -4.3°C* *Amid cloud cover slight relief at few Places including Srinagar*

Srinagar, Dec 7 (KNC): The Kashmir Valley continued to face biting cold last night as temperatures stayed below freezing across most stations, with Pahalgam recording the lowest minimum at -4.3°C.

According to data compiled by Kashmir Weather as per news agency Kashmir News Corner --- KNC, slight relief was felt at a few places, including Srinagar, where the minimum settled at -0.9°C still below freezing, but comparatively milder than previous nights.

Qazigund recorded -1.0°C, Awantipora -3.0°C, Pulwama -3.8°C, and Shopian -3.5°C. Srinagar Airport remained colder than the city at -2.4°C.

In north Kashmir, Kupwara touched -0.8°C, Bandipora -0.9°C, Baramulla -2.0°C, while Zethan Rafiabad plunged to -4.1°C, emerging among the coldest belts today.

Tourist destinations also remained in the grip of winter chill as Gulmarg recorded -1.6°C, and Sonamarg settled at -0.9°C.

Meanwhile, Kokernag (1.1°C), Kulgam (0.6°C), and Ganderbal (0.4°C) were among the few spots that stayed above freezing, offering slight respite from the harsh cold.

In Jammu region, temperatures remained comparatively mild with Jammu recording 8.3°C, Katra 9.2°C, Batote 6.2°C, Bhaderwah 2.0°C, and Banihal 1.5°C. Udhampur logged 3.6°C, while Ramban and Doda settled at 4.9°C and 6.7°C respectively.

Ladakh continued to freeze as Leh dipped to -7.2°C, Kargil to -6.4°C, and Nubra Valley to -3.2°C.

Meteorologists said the cold wave is likely to persist, with temperatures expected to dip further during the coming nights.