Srinagar, Feb 20: The rain continued in Kashmir for the third consecutive day, and the upper reaches of the valley received fresh snow, triggering the closure of crucial highways, officials said on Tuesday.
Jammu-Srinagar national highway and Srinagar Leh road remained closed for vehicular traffic due to the snowfall and rain on Tuesday.
Traffic officials said Jammu Srinagar national highway is blocked due to mudslides, landslides, and the shooting of stones over a dozen places due to rain on the whole highway during the past 24 hours.
“People are advised to avoid journeys on NH-44 until the weather improves and the road is clear,” a spokesman for the traffic police said.
The roads connecting Keran and Machil roads in Kupwara district, Anantnag Simthan, and Mughal roads were also closed for vehicular traffic due to snowfall on Tuesday, they said.
In the last 48 hours, the famous ski resort of Gulmarg in Baramulla district of north Kashmir received 2.5 feet of snowfall, Sonamarg 4 feet, Sadhna Top 5 feet, Razdan Top 5 feet, and Tulail Gurez 4 feet.
Srinagar and its adjoining areas have received incessant rains since yesterday, resulting in the waterlogging of several low-lying areas and a considerable drop in the daytime temperature that triggered cold conditions. Currently, it is raining in Srinagar and snowing in several parts of the Kashmir valley.
According to the Meteorological Centre Srinagar, Srinagar received 29.0mm of rainfall, while Qazigund received 76.8mm of rainfall, Pahalgam 40.1mm of rainfall, Kupwara 41.9mm of rainfall, Kokernag 26.0mm of rainfall, Gulmarg 59.2mm of rainfall, and 50.0cm of snowfall during the past 24 hours.
The MeT office said that there is a possibility of light to moderate rain and snow at many places in Jammu and Kashmir during the next 24 hours.
“There is possibility of rain in plains with the main impact over some parts of south Kashmir, with the possibility of 3% chances of light snowfall in a few plains of south Kashmir towards night or tomorrow early morning,” independent weather forecaster Kashmir Weather said.
The night temperature dropped in Kashmir Valley and was recorded below freezing point at most of the stations, while the day temperature was also recorded below normal all across the valley due to snowfall and rain.
The minimum temperature during the intervening nights of Monday and Tuesday in Srinagar was recorded at -0.7°C against the normal of 0.9°C, and it was 1.6°C below normal for the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
The day temperature was also recorded at -0.9°C, below the normal of 9.9°C on the previous day in Srinagar.
Qazigund had a low of 0.0°C, Kokernag 0.4°C, Pahalgam -4.0°C, Kupwara -0.3°C, and Gulmarg -6.7°C on Tuesday, the MeT office said. (Agencies)
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