SRINAGAR : The world famous ski resort of Gulmarg and tourist resort of Sonamarg and other heights in the Kashmir valley received fresh snowfall while plains, including Srinagar city, were lashed by heavy rains since last evening.
There was considerable improvement in the weather at Leh and Kargil in Ladakh region, which remained cut off from Kashmir since December last year due to snow. A Met department spokesperson said two Western Disturbances (WD), already hitting the region since yesterday, would remain active till April 4 which could result in heavy to very heavy snow or rain in the Jammu and Kashmir.
He has warned of landslides, particularly on Srinagar-Jammu national highway during the period. Few inches of snow was experienced during the night on the ski slopes, which are already under three to four feet of white powder, a hotel owner told over phone from Gulmarg.
He said the upper heights, including Kongdori, Khilanmarg and Affarwat, the highest skiing point, connected through Cable Car, received light to moderate snowfall since last night.
The sky remained under dark clouds and there could be more snow, he said.
After recording considerable improvement in the minimum temperature, it dropped again to sub zero. Against 4.2 degree night temperature at Gulmarg it was minus 0.6, which is being considered normal during this time of the season, Met spokesman said.
The upper reaches in north Kashmir, including areas near the Line of Control (LoC) also received fresh snowfall since last evening. These areas remained cut off from their respective district and tehsil headquarters for the past several weeks due to snow.
Sonmarg, a tourist resort on Srinagar-Leh national highway in the central Kashmir, also experienced fresh snowfall early this morning. It was snowing though very lightly there. Zojilla, Meenmarg and other places on the highway also received fresh snowfall. The highway remained closed since December last year and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) had recently started snow clearance operation from Drass and Sonmarg to put the road through from the middle of next mnonth. Reports said that Baltal, base camp of holy Amarnath cave shrine also experienced fresh snowfall.
Interestingly, famed health resort Pahalgam, about 100 km from here in south Kashmir received only rain, melting snow there, reports reaching here said.
However, the holy cave shrine and its periphery, Sheshnag, Mahaguns, Pisso top and Panjterni received fresh snowfall.
Met spokesperson said the 47.8 mm rainfall was recorded at Pahalgam during the night. However, the minimum temperature has dropped from 4.8 degree recorded yesterday to 3 degree, still two notches above normal. It was water everywhere in the summer capital, Srinagar, after 43.8 mm rainfall during the night due to which the mercury has also dropped. Against yesterday’s 12 degree minimum temperature in the city it was 6.2 degree, he said. All city roads, including the historic Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the city, were waterlodged disrupting pedestrian and traffic movement. It was still raining, disrupting normal life.
The other plain areas in the valley were also lashed by heavy rains since last night.
The minimum temperature at Qazigund, gateway of Kashmir, recorded 7.6 degree minimum temperature about three degree above normal after more than 21 mm rainfall, Kokernag 6.4 degree, more than two notches above normal 20.5 mm rainfall and Kupwar 5.1 degree, one degree above normal after 57.8 mm rainfall.
There was considerable improvement in the weather condition in Leh and Kargil in Ladakh region. Against yesterday’s chilly weather due to minus 7 degree minimum temperature it was minus 1,8 degree at Kargil, a border town while at Leh it was 6.6 degree against minus 0.7 degree recorded yesterday.
(AGENCIES)
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