Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Mar 11: After improvement in weather this afternoon, Srinagar had fresh snowfall in evening even as Kashmir remained cut off from rest of the country due to closure of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
It snowed in the hills during the night in Kashmir and was raining in the morning in Srinagar and its adjoining areas. The weather, however, improved in the afternoon with Sun coming out but in the evening it started snowing heavily leading to drop in the temperatures.
The rains in Srinagar and other areas led to waterlogging of roads due to faulty drainage system.
Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed for traffic for 4th consecutive day today due to snowfall in Jawahar Tunnel and its adjacent areas and rains in rest of the areas. The rains led to shooting stones and slides at several places between Ramban and Banihal.
An official said that efforts to restore the highway were hampered by continuous rain and snowfall in Ramban-Banihal-Qazigund sectors, forcing authorities to suspend traffic on the arterial road for the fourth day today.
The official said the heavy snowfall at Jawahar Tunnel and Patnitop areas and continuous rainfall at various places along the highway gave tough time to the agencies concerned in carrying out the restoration work at full-scale.
The road at Battery Cheshma, Anookhi Fall, Panthyal and Digdol areas could not be made traffic worthy despite hectic efforts.
The MeT has predicted improvement in the weather conditions from this evening. It said the weather will remain mostly cloudy with isolated rain or snow at a few places during the next 24 hours.
In the meantime, due to snowfall and rains, mercury continued as the minimum temperature at most places in the valley including Srinagar settled below freezing point.
Srinagar recorded 7.5 degree Celsius while night temperature dropped to 3.6 degree Celsius, Qazigund recorded a maximum of 8.1 degree Celsius and minimum of 3.0 degree Celsius, Pahalgam recorded a maximum of 7.6 degree Celsius and minimum of 1.8 degree Celsius, Kupwara a maximum of 5.5 degree Celsius and minimum 8.3 degree Celsius and Kokernag a maximum of 7.8 degree Celsius and minimum of 4.0 degree Celsius
Jammu recorded 18.6 degree Celsius while night temperature dropped to 8.4 degree Celsius. Banihal recorded a maximum of 6.4 degree Celsius and minimum of 0.2 degree Celsius, Batote a maximum of 5.6 degree Celsius and minimum of minus 0.1 degree Celsius, Katra a maximum of 15.6 degree Celsius and minimum of 6.6 degree Celsius and Bhaderwah a maximum of 7.2 degree Celsius and minimum of minus 0.8 degree Celsius.
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