Srinagar, Jan 23: Fresh spell of snowfall in high-altitude areas of Kashmir led to sharp dip in temperature on Wednesday even as the Meteorological Department forecast improvement in weather from Thursday afternoon.
The Met officials said here that a cold wave was sweeping the Valley and Ladakh region. They said that clear skies for last some days during the nights resulted in drop of temperature by several notches.
Director Met Department, Sonam Lotus, told Greater Kashmir that fresh snowfall was recorded Wednesday in Kupwara district of north Kashmir and Budgam district of central Kashmir. He said that in Kupwara town 2 cms of snow was recorded Wednesday afternoon and light snow fall was going on in plains of Budgam. He said that night temperatures will start rising from Thursday.
The snowfall was going on in Kupwara and Budgam when this report was being filed. Fresh snowfall compounded the problems of the people in border and high altitude areas of Kupwara including Machil, Keran, Kamkadi and Jumagund, who were already cut-off from the district headquarters for the last one and a half month.
Met officials said the minimum temperature was minus 3.2 degrees Celsius in Srinagar, minus 7.0 degrees in Pahalgam, minus 9.6 degrees in Gulmarg, minus 19.4 degrees in Leh and minus 17.2 degrees in Kargil.
The officials said that night temperature in Kokernag settled at a low of minus 8.2 degrees Celsius as compared to minus 8.7 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. They said in north Kashmir's Kupwara town, where the previous night's minimum was minus 4.8 degree Celsius, the minimum temperature showed an increase of three degrees to settle at a low of minus 1.7 degree Celsius during the night.
They said that most of the water bodies across Kashmir, including the Dal Lake, continued to be partially frozen.
Inspector General of Police, Traffic, Muneer Ahmad Khan said that vehicles would be allowed to travel from Jammu towards Kashmir on the highway subject to fair weather and good condition of the road.

STRANDED PASSENGERS AIRLIFTED TO MARWAH, WARWAN:
A major relief operation was today launched by State government with the active support of Army authorities and Indian Air Force in which about 202 stranded passengers including patients were airlifted to the cut off regions of Marwah, Warwan and Dachan from Kishtwar. Several critically ill patients were also evacuated from these areas which remained cut off due to heavy snowfall. The operation was supervised by Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar, Saleem Muhammad, with the active assistance of Major Raghawender of 8 RR.
The local people hailed the initiative of the government.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:00:00 IST