Srinagar:

Cold wave conditions returned to Kashmir as the minimum temperatures on Friday night plunged several degrees below freezing point, which resulted in formation of black ice on the roads in the valley, hampering the movement of traffic, officials said Saturday.

Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 5.7 degrees Celsius on Friday night, registering a drop of nearly five degrees compared to the previous night, an official at the MeT Department said.

Gulmarg ski-resort in north Kashmir was the coldest place in the valley as the mercury plunged to minus 14.4 degrees Celsius, while Pahalgam in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 12.7 degrees Celsius, he said.

Qazigund recorded a low of minus 9.0 degrees Celsius while Kupwara and Kokernag registered minimum temperatures of minus 7.4 and minus 7.7 degrees Celsius, respectively.

The sudden dip in the night temperature was due to clear skies overnight, which led to formation of black ice on the roads in the city and elsewhere in the valley.
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Motorists faced difficulty in driving over the frozen roads but bright sunshine eased the situation by melting the thin layer of ice.