Srinagar, March 20 : The Srinagar-Jammu highway, the only surface link connecting Kashmir Valley with rest of the world, was closed even as rains and snow lashed Kashmir Valley on Wednesday.
Traffic department officials said that traffic was stopped at around 6 a.m. after lurking threat of landslides in Ramban district
There was also light snowfall near Jawahar Tunnel while rains lased rest of the thoroughfare since Tuesday night.
“There were Intermittent shooting of stones from the hillock overlooking the highway near Panthiyal since morning which rendered the highway unsafe,” the official said. On Thursday, the official said, traffic shall ply from Jammu towards Srinagar.
Meanwhile fresh snowfall and rains lashed most of the Kashmir valley, bring temperature down considerably.
A meteorological department official told GNS that Srinagar—the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir –received 21mm of rainfall or snow from 8:30 hours till 5:30 hours. It also recorded a maximum temperature of 5.2 Degrees Celsius against 14.9 degrees Celsius normal for this time of the season, the official said.
Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir witnessed 10.2 of rain during the time and recorded a maximum of 4.6 degrees Celsius along with Kokernag which saw 4.8mm of rainfall.
Kupwara town in north Kashmir registered a low of 1.3 degrees Celsius and maximum of 4.6 degrees ceslius and rainfall of 8.4 mm during the day, he said.
Gulmarg, the famous ski-resort in north Kashmir, amassed 20 centimetres of fresh snow overnight and recorded a low of minus 2.0 degrees Celsius while the famous health resort of Pahalgam witnessed 6.9 mm of rainfall and registered a maximum of 4.2 degrees Celsius, the official added.
The weatherman has forecast rains at most places in Jammu and Kashmir in next 24-hours.
“There is possibility of widespread light to moderate rain/snow/thundershowers over the state in next 24-hours,” the official added. (GNS)
