Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Dec 13: The movement of passenger vehicles on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was suspended this evening following snowfall at Jawahar Tunnel and Patnitop and rainfall on rest of the highway.
Deputy Inspector General of Traffic Police, Shakeel Ahmed Beig told EXCELSIOR that movement of passenger vehicles was stopped from Jammu and Udhampur at around 5 pm following snowfall at Jawahar Tunnel and Patnitop and continuous rainfall on rest of the highway.
Because of slippery conditions it was not advisable to allow movement of passenger vehicles and directions were issued to the Traffic Police personnel at Jammu as well as Udhampur to stop movement of passenger vehicles, he said. Similar directions were also issued by the DIG Traffic, Srinagar and movement of passenger vehicles beyond Qazigund was stopped from 5 pm.
“We will assess the situation tomorrow morning before taking any decision on allowing movement of passenger vehicles”, the DIG said.
Meanwhile, the upper reaches of Jammu region including health resort of Patnitop and Bhawan of Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine situated in the Trikuta Hills experienced snowfall while as moderate rainfall lashed the plains.
The rainfall brought an end to the continuous dry spell across the Jammu region. It was raining across the region when reports last came in. With this spell of rains the farmers would be able to start sowing activities.
The maximum temperature in Jammu was today recorded at 16.4 degrees Celsius while as minimum temperature was 7.4 degree Celsius. “The day temperature of Jammu plummeted 5.5 degrees below normal today”, a spokesman of the IMD said.
Today was the coldest day of current winter season as the mercury plummeted to below five degrees Celsius during day at Srinagar while as famous health resort of Gulmarg recorded freezing temperature even during the day.
A Meteorological Department official said that the day temperature was 4.4 degrees Celsius at Srinagar, lowest day temperature at this place during this winter season. He said the minimum temperature was 0.8 degrees Celsius at Srinagar.
Gulmarg recorded the day temperature at minus 2.0 degrees Celsius while as the minimum temperature was minus 8.2 degrees Celsius. Pahalgam recorded the day temperature of 2.7 degrees while as the minimum temperature was minus 2.4 degrees Celsius.
Reports said that light snowfall was recorded at Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Ducksum, Kokernag, Keran, Tangdhar, Machil, Gurez, Danew Kandimarg, Damhal Hanjipora, Mughal Road, Shopian, Hirpora, Tosa Maidan, Doodhpathri, Qazigund, Verinag, Achabal, Simthan Top, Vailoo, Khan Sahib, Dadompora, Branwar, Kani Dajan, Mujapathri, Sadhna Top, Razdan Pass and Kangan.
Rainfall was recorded at most of the places in the districts of Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, Budgam, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, Leh and Kargil districts.
Srinagar recorded 1.4 millimeters of rain up to 5:30 pm while as it was 3.4 millimeters at Qazigund, 1.4 millimeters at Pahalgam, 1.4 millimeters at Kupwara and 2.9 millimeters at Kokernag. Gulmarg recorded one inch of snow by 5:30 pm while as the rains were recorded as three millimeters.
The MeT Department has issued a warning according to which moderate to rather heavy snow would occur at some places in Kashmir valley over the next 24 hours.
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