Srinagar, Apr 21: Kashmir has witnessed a sharp dip in temperature in past 24 hours due to incessant rains in the plains and fresh snowfall in the higher reaches. Srinagar-Ladakh highway has been closed for traffic for past two days.
While the plains were lashed by incessant rains, the upper reaches of Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Drass, Leh, Kargil and other places received two to three inches of fresh snowfall. The maximum temperature recorded in Kashmir was 13.5 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature was 9.5 degree Celsius.
The scientific assistant at the met department, Yashpal Sharma, told Greater Kashmir that the Valley has been under the influence of western disturbances, likely to persist for next 36 hours.
 “The rains and snowfall are due to the western disturbances. It will stay till tomorrow evening with some possible breaks,” he said, adding the rains and thunderstorms would occur intermittently at most places in Kashmir till Friday morning.

RAIN, SNOW HIT TRAFFIC MOVEMENT
 The rainfall has caused landslides at many places on rinagar-Ladakh highway, which has been closed for traffic. The officer on special duty with Divisional commissioner Kashmir, Amir Ali, said the highway was closed yesterday due to landslides at Zojilla and the passengers have been stationed in Drass and Sonamarg.
 He said the avalanches have also been reported from a few places on the highway.
 “But no causality has been reported from any place,” he said.
 However, the Jammu-Srinagar highway was open for traffic till last reports came.  Although the weather in Kashmir didn’t have much effect on Air traffic, many flights got delayed due to turbulent weather in Jammu.
 “Many flights got delayed due to heavy winds blowing in Jammu in the morning. For instance, the Spice jet flight coming in from Delhi via Jammu had top directly land in Srinagar due to bad weather in Jammu,” Amir Ali said.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 21 Apr 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:00:00 IST