Srinagar, Dec 16 (IANS): It was the coldest night of the season so far in Srinagar early Wednesday as the minimum temperature continued to drop across Jammu and Kashmir.

"The minimum temperature in Srinagar was recorded at minus 3.7 degrees Celsius. This was the lowest temperature of the season so far," an official of the regional Met department told IANS.

Because of the clear sky, the night temperature were likely to drop further during the next 36 hours, the official said.

The minimum temperature in Pahalgam was minus 7.3 degrees Celsius, in Gulmarg the minimum temperature was recorded at minus 10 degrees Celsius while in Leh and Kargil towns of the Ladakh region the minimum temperature was minus 13.8 and minus 14.2 degrees Celsius respectively, the official said.

In the Jammu region, the minimum temperature was 6.4 degrees Celsius in Jammu city, 5.6 degrees Celsius in Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine base camp town of Katra.

The official said the minimum temperature was 1.1 degrees Celsius in Batote town while it was 0.7 degrees Celsius in Bannhihal and minus 1.9 degrees Celsius in Bhaderwah town.

The 40-day long period of extreme cold in Kashmir Valley known as 'Chillai Kalan' begins on December 21.