Rains continued to lash plains of Kashmir while its higher reaches received fresh snowfall for the second consecutive day Sunday, leading to closure of three main highways in the state.
The Meteorological department has predicted improvement in weather from Tuesday afternoon.
A MeT department official said apart from the ski-resort of Gulmarg, fresh snowfall was recorded at Amarnath Cave, Sadhna Top, Gurez, Z-Gali, Zojilla Pass, Pir Ki Gali on Mughal Road and Sinthan Top.
He said Srinagar recorded 4.7 mm of rainfall, Qazigund 5.7 mm, Pahalgam 13.8 mm, Kupwara 15.1 mm, Kokernag 6.0 mm and Gulmarg 19. 6 mm. He said Gulmarg also recorded two-inch snowfall.
The official said there has been steep decline in minimum and maximum temperatures due to rains and snow. He said Srinagar recorded temperature of 8.8 degrees Celsius on Sunday, Qazigund 9.2, Pahalgam 6.7, Kupwara 6.7, Kokernag 9.7 and Gulmarg 0.6.
“There is an overall 10 degree drop in temperatures,” he said.
He said temperature can rise after Tuesday. “There will be improvement in weather from Tuesday afternoon,” the official said. Reports from north Kashmir’s Kupwara district said officials have suspended vehicular movement on high altitude roads there due to continuous snowfall.
“The movement of traffic was temporarily suspended on Kupwara-Tangdhar road in wake of fresh snowfall. Movement of vehicles has also been stopped to Keran area, Machil and Bungas valley because of snow,” an official said.
Highway Closed
An official said the Srinagar-Jammu highway was closed this evening following a landslide near Ramban.
“The Jammu-Srinagar Highway has been closed for vehicular traffic following massive landslides that were triggered by ongoing heavy rainfall across the state”, a traffic police (NH) officer said.
The highway was closed after massive landslide triggered by heavy rainfall blocked the highway near Ramsoo area of Ramban district.
“The landslide took place at Ramsoo this evening blocking the highway”, he said.
As a precautionary measure the movement of vehicular traffic was stopped near Udhampur this evening and no vehicle was allowed to move ahead from Udhampur after 3:30PM.
The officer said that the ongoing rainfall was hampering the road opening operation.
“Road opening work cannot be carried out during the night as it is still raining and we don’t want to put our men and machinery at the risk of the shooting stones and landslides”, he said.
He said that the road opening work would be restored tomorrow morning if the rain stops.
Meanwhile the Batote, Doda highway has also been closed for the movement of vehicular traffic due to the ongoing rainfall.
The historic Mughal Road, connecting Valley with Poonch district in Jammu region, was also closed due to fresh snowfall at Bafliaz, Dubjan and Pir-ki-Gali areas.
Official said hundreds of vehicles, including trucks, remained stranded on both sides of the road.
The 434-km highway connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir was also closed due to heavy snowfall since last evening, traffic police officials said here.
They said hundreds of vehicles, including trucks loaded with essentials, are stranded at Sonamarg and other places on this side of the Zojila pass.
Jammu Region
Jammu region witnessed rains in plains and snowfall in upper reaches, pushing down the day temperature by several notches.
MeT officials said Bhaderwah region of Chenab valley witnessed 21.4 mm rain, Banihal received 19.8 mm, Batote 16.6 mm, Katra 3.7 mm and Jammu 2.22 mm.
With rains and snowfall, temperature plummeted by 6 to 10 notches.
The entire Chenab Valley region remained under grip of cold wave due to fresh snowfall in upper reaches of Doda, Baderwah, Kishtwar and other places there.
Heavy rains led to waterlogging at many places in Kishtwar, reports said.
(With inputs from Jammu Bureau/PTI)
