Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 24: Kashmir valley was lashed by heavy rains while hills experienced fresh snowfall making people to shiver while the weatherman has forecast freak weather to continue for next 36 hours.
Rains lashed Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir today as the Meteorological Department here predicted widespread rains or snow across the Valley with heavy falls at a few places for the next 36 hours.
“Widespread rains or snow would occur in the State today and tomorrow. The precipitation will decrease by tomorrow and weather will improve by Friday morning,” Director Meteorological department, Sonam Lotus told Excelsior.
Lotus said that the heavy rains continued in Srinagar city since the morning bringing down the minimum temperature from 6.2 degrees Celsius yesterday to 5.9 degrees Celsius today.
The weatherman said the minimum temperature in Gulmarg, settled at minus 0.2 degree Celsius compared to minus 0.8 degree Celsius yesterday. The resort received 2.6 mm rainfall during the night. It was snowing in Gulmarg and hills around it.
The mercury in Pahalgam settled at a low of 1.5 degrees Celsius, slightly down from 2.2 degrees Celsius yesterday. Qazigund on Srinagar-Jammu national highway recorded a low of 3.2 degrees Celsius, up from the previous night’s 2.6 degrees Celsius.
There was fresh snowfall in the hills of Kashmir with one feet fresh snowfall recorded at Sadna Top, one feet at Z-gali and one and a half feet at Furkian Top.
The Jammu-Srinagar National highway remained open for traffic despite heavy rains. The Inspector General of Police, Traffic Muneer Khan told Excelsior that over 4700 vehicles plied from Jammu to Srinagar today. He said that the majority of these vehicles have crossed the Jawahar Tunnel.
Khan said that if weather permits, the traffic will ply from Srinagar to Jammu tomorrow. However, he said that only light and medium motor vehicles will be allowed to ply on the highway. He said no loaded trucks and buses will be allowed to ply. He also said that the vehicles have to cross the Qazigund by 1 p.m.
The Divisional Administra-tion has issued fresh avalanche warning in the hills of the Kashmir and asked people in the avalanche prone areas to remain vigilant while making movements.
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