Exhausting heat ends, at last; more rain forecast till today evening

Srinagar: Widespread, half a day’s rain on Wednesday put an end to a two-month-long dry spell and brought cheers on the faces of people, though it closed the Jammu and Srinagar highway. More rain is forecast till Thursday afternoon in the Valley.
According to the Meteorological Department, by late afternoon, Qazigund had received the highest rainfall in the valley at 17.8mm, followed by Srinagar at 12.9mm and Kupwara at 10.2mm. In Jammu division, Banihal received 19.0mm, Batote 17.0mm and Jammu 9.0 mm.
Shooting stones led to the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu highway.
“In Ramban area shooting stones hit at Panthial, Trishul Mod, Marog, Monkey Mod, Iron Shed Digol, Anokhy Fall and Battery Chashma, forcing us to close the highway,” said a traffic official.
“About 1500 goods-laden trucks on way to Srinagar are stuck on the highway, while 3500 vehicles from Srinagar to Jammu remain stuck at Qazigund. The status of the road is closed as of now till Thursday evening. The work on restoration is on. People are advised to travel through the highway only after confirmation,” a senior police officer told Kashmir Reader.
The administration has also closed the Bandipora-Gurez road.
Earlier the highway was closed for two days following landslides between Ramban and Ramsu last week.
The rainfall also raised the water level in the river Jhelum. The Irrigation and Flood Control Department Kashmir, which monitors the levels of water bodies, said that the water level in Jhelum was recorded at 3.76ft at Sangam, at Pampore 0.21m, at Ram Munshi Bagh 5.53ft, and 4.03ft at Asham, all higher than past days.
In Jammu division the rainfall damaged some property. In Mendhar, flash floods led to the disruption of electricity following damage to the transmission line between Draba and Manjakote. A foot bridge that connected Manjakote with the main highway in Rajouri also collapsed in the rains. In Kashmir Valley, flashfloods in Navajan village in Kangan caused damage to the paddy crops. A cloud burst was reported in Srigufwara in Anantnag district.
Director of the regional Meteorological Department, Sonum Lotus, told Kashmir Reader that light to moderate rainfall will continue for 24 hours. “There was a drop in temperature as well, but it will again go up from August 29. It will, however, remain lower than what it was in the mid of August,” Lotus said.

Reader correspondent