Srinagar, March 16: Amid heavy snowfall fresh showers drenched plains and hilly areas across Jammu and Kashmir. Fresh and heavy snowfall continued throughout the day on Monday in Kashmir and various parts of jammu province including Ramban, Patnitop, Banihal Tunnel. The mercury came down resulting in re-emergence of intense cold across Kashmir Valley.
Snowfall crippled life in Kashmir, snapping road and air links. Electricity supply in certain parts of Kashmir Valley was also suspended due to the fresh bout of snowfall, which began on Monday morning. In the upper hills, Jammu and its adjoining areas witnessed heavy overnight rains.
Vehicular traffic from Jammu-Srinagar highway was suspended due to slippery road conditions in Jawahar tunnel and Patnitop areas. Flights to and from Srinagar were also been put off for the time being.
Fresh snowfall was recorded in Srinagar, hills of Kishtwar, Doda, Poonch, Rajouri, Kathua, Reasi, Ramban and Bhaderwah Valley.
“Srinagar city recorded 0.6 Celsius, Gulmarg minus 0.5 Celsius, Pahalgam 0.0 Celsius, Leh minus 1.6 Celsius, Kargil minus 8.0 Celsius and Jammu city 11.4 Celsius as the minimum temperatures today,” the official said.
In tourist resorts like Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg cold wave conditions further intensified during the day as these places received intermittent rains and snow throughout the day. There has been over one and half feet snowfall during the night at the ski resort of Gulmarg and Pahalgam in the Valley.
The sky remained heavily overcast.
Baramulla-Bannihal train service was also suspended today due to snow accumulation on the track. Air traffic to and from the Valley was stalled due to poor visibility.
There was a sharp fall in day temperature.The local weather office forecast inclement weather to continue for the next 12 hours till late Monday. “Rain and snow are likely to occur across Jammu and Kashmir during the next 12 hours with possibility of heavy rain and snow at isolated places,” Director Met department, Sonam Lotus told news agency.
Due to closure of Srinagar-Jammu highway, hundreds of passengers were stranded at many places on the highway including Sarmoli, Toll Plaza Nagrota, Udhumpur and Banihal Tunnel.
A traffic official said that two feet of fresh snowfall in the Bannihal sector and landslides in the Ramban sector have hampered road clearance operations due to which no traffic was allowed on Monday.†The highway was shut for traffic on Sunday afternoon due to landslides in Ramban sector for over 280 Kilometre long road that forms the landlocked valley’s only land connection with the rest of the world.
The authorities ordered the suspension of all classes upto 5th standard in schools across the Valley because of snowfall.
