Srinagar/UNI: Intense cold coupled with dense fog and haze disrupted normal life in Kashmir Valley on Monday.

The Meteorological Centre Srinagar said Srinagar recorded a low of -2.3°C on Monday against the -2.1 °C recorded on Sunday. It was 0.3°C below normal for the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir during this period of the season.

Srinagar and other parts of the Kashmir valley were engulfed with a thick layer of fog and haze that reduced visibility, causing inconvenience to commuters. Vehicles had to keep on their head lights while moving on the roads in Srinagar.

The maximum temperature was recorded for the first time, 0.1°C below the normal of 8.6°C, against 8.58°C in Srinagar on Sunday.

The minimum temperature at Qazigund on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway dipped to a low of -2.6°C against the -2.0°C recorded Sunday night, while Kokernag had a low of -1.6°C against the -1.1°C recorded a day ago.

Pahalgam remained the coldest place in Kashmir Valley, with the minimum temperature plummeting to -4.3°C on Monday against the -3.9°C recorded on Sunday. It was, however, 0.7°C above normal for the tourist hot spot in south Kashmir.

The temperature improved at Gulmarg and was recorded at -2.6°C against the -3.5°C recorded the previous night, and it was 3.2°C above normal for the famous ski resort of north Kashmir.

Kupwara recorded a low of -3.2°C against -2.7°C on Sunday night. It was 0.4°C below normal for the north Kashmir district, the MeT office said.

The MeT office said the weather will remain generally dry until December 26 and generally cloudy, with the possibility of light snow over isolated higher reaches on December 27.

From December 28 until the end of the month, the weather will remain generally dry, the MeT office said, adding that there will be no significant weather activity until the end of December.