SRINAGAR: Upper reaches of Kashmir valley including tourist resort Gulmarg received light overnight snowfall while rain lashed plains, officials said on Monday.
The weatherman has already issued an advisory for moderate to heavy rains or snowfall in the valley for three days with main activity of Tuesday and Wednesday in view of a fresh western disturbance. Meteorological department official said that Srinagar received 1.1mm of rainfall in last 24 hours till 08:30 am. As per the official, the mercury settled at 7.2°C, the same as recorded on the previous night which is above 0.8°C normal for this time of the year in the summer capital of J&K. Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, received 0.6mm of rain during the time and it recorded a low of 7.2°C against 4.2°C on the previous night, the official said. Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, had 7.4mm of rain while as it recorded a minimum of 4.8°C against 1.0°C on the earlier night, he said.
Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, received 0.8mm of rain and recorded a low of 5.7°C against previous night’s 4.0°C, the official said. Kupwara had 7.8mm of rain while the north Kashmir district recording a low of 5.2°C against 4.0°C on the previous night, the official said. Gulmarg received 7.8mm of rain and light snowfall of 0.2cm depth during the time while as the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district recorded a minimum temperature of minus 0.6°C against 0.5°C on the previous night, the official added. Officials said that the imminent western disturbance is likely to cause heavy rain / snow mainly in upper reaches of Kashmir including Gulmarg, Sonmarg, Baramulla, Bandipora, Kupwara, Shopian, Qazigund-Banihal axis, Pirpanjal range of Jammu Division, Drass and Zanskar subdivision of Ladakh.
The probable impacts, the advisory says includes temporary disruption of surface traffic mainly on Jammu-Srinagar and Srinagar-Leh Highway (Zojila Pass), Leh-Manali Highway, Mughal Road, and Sadhna pass on April 6th and 7th April.
There is also possibility of landslides and shooting stones at vulnerable spots of Jammu- Srinagar Srinagar-Leh Highway, the advisory said. “There would be temporary water logging in low lying areas in Kashmir Valley,” it said.
