Srinagar, Apr 20: Fresh snowfall was received along higher reaches of the valley while rains lashed plains for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday. The meteorological department has forecasted inclement weather for next 24 hours in the Valley, officials said.
The incessant rainfall over the past four days in Kashmir has dampened the festive spirit of shoppers ahead of Eid.
Eid-ul-Fitr, marking the culmination of the fasting during the holy month of Ramzan, is expected to be celebrated on Friday or Saturday, depending on the sighting of the crescent moon.
Director Meteorological Department Sonam Lotus told Rising Kashmir that rain, snowfall continued on Thursday in the Valley While as weather improved significantly toward late evening.
On Friday, there is a forecast of intermittent light to moderate rain at scattered places towards late afternoon and thereafter the weather mainly will remain dry till April 25, he said.
Lotus said upper reaches of Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Keran, Machil sectors experienced fresh snowfall resulting in considerable drop in temperature.
Following the cloudy weather, various parts of Kashmir on Thursday witnessed a significant drop in day temperatures. Srinagar recorded 14.0 degrees Celsius as the maximum temperature and 7.9 °C as the minimum temperature.
Pahalgam settled at 16.2 °C degrees and 2.6 °C as minimum temperatures. Ski-resort Gulmarg recorded 4.8 °C as the maximum temperature and minus 0.6°C as minimum temperature.
Regarding the rainfall, the MeT office said Srinagar received 0.5 mm, Qazigund had 10.4 mm of rainfall, Pahalgam 2.8 mm, Kupwara 5.1 mm, Kokernag 2.0 mm and Gulmarg 8.0 mm of rainfall during the past 24 hours.
Following the change in the current weather system, Jammu and Kashmir Disaster Management Authority (JKDMA) issued an avalanche alert over higher reaches in six districts for the next 24 hours.
A JKDMA spokesperson said an avalanche with low danger level is likely to occur above 2400 to 3200 metres above sea level in Doda, Kishtwar, Poonch, Ramban, Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts.
“Avalanche with medium danger level is likely to occur above 2800 meters in Ganderbal district in the next 24 hours”, he said.
“People living in these areas are advised to take precautions and avoid venturing in the avalanche prone areas till further orders,” he said.
Following incessant rainfall for the last 4 days led to increase in water levels of water bodies across the Valley, while officials of the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) department stated there was no threat of floods as major rainfall activity was recorded in south Kashmir.
Chief engineer Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Er Naresh Kumar said there is no alarming situation in the Valley as of now.
“The alert level at Sangam is well below the danger mark and the same is in Ram Munshi Bagh. There is no alarming flood like situation as of now and people also need not to panic,” he said.
Kumar said Tributaries in south Kashmir are filled with rainfall water, but there is no situation of floods in the valley.
Meanwhile,Jammu-Srinagar National highway on Thursday was reopened after remaining closed for several hours due to a massive landslide at Hingni Nachlana near Ramsoo along the highway.
“After clearance of the debris, passenger traffic has been released from both ends on the highway,” SSP NH Mohita Sharma said.
“Earlier a big slide was reported at Hingi Nachlana, Ramsoo around midnight, leading to the closure of the strategic thoroughfare. The clearance was taken up which was completed around 10 a.m,” she said.
A traffic police spokesman said the highway remained blocked for more than 07 hours 35 mins. There was breakdown of 04 HMVs and movement of 05 nomadic flocks between Nashri and NAVYUG Tunnel also affected the traffic on the highway.
A traffic police department spokesman said on Friday, subject to fair weather and road clearance, Passenger/Private Cars shall be allowed from both sides on Jammu-Srinagar NHW viz Jammu towards Srinagar and vice-versa. TCU Jammu, Srinagar shall liaise with TCU Ramban before releasing the traffic, it said.
On Sonamarg-Leh highway, no vehicular movement shall be allowed on both sides of highway due to widening of the road.
