‘Yellow warning’ for today, tomorrow; traffic from both sides on highway today but official advice against travelling

Srinagar: As forecast by the J&K meteorological (MeT) department, some upper reaches of Kashmir received fresh snowfall while the plains received rainfall on Wednesday. The MeT department’s forecast is for more wet weather on Thursday and Friday.
The MeT department had earlier said that the weather was expected to remain “erratic” till March 15, with major intensity of precipitation in the form of snowfall over upper reaches and rainfall over the plains of J&K during 11th and 12th March, Thursday and Friday.
For these two days, the department had also issued a “Yellow warning”, signifying that there was the possibility of “isolated heavy rain and snowfall along with hailstorm, thunder and lightning”. The chances of precipitation, the department said, remained between 76 and 100 percent.
The department also warned that the precipitation could lead to disruption of traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, which remains prone to landslides and shooting stones. In addition to this, it said, the precipitation could also have impact on the Srinagar-Leh highway on Thursday and Friday.
The plains as well as upper reaches of Kashmir valley have been receiving rainfall and snowfall in a staggered manner for the past few days. On Wednesday, famous ski-resort Gulmarg received about 2.8 cm of snowfall till the evening.
Sonamarg and Gurez also received light snowfall ranging between one and two centimetres, reports said.
The plains, meanwhile, were lashed by rains on Wednesday with Srinagar recording about 3.4 mm of rainfall till evening. Qazigund recorded 6 mm, Pahalgam 7.2 mm, and Kokernag about 3.2 mm of rainfall till evening of Wednesday, said weather officials. Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded rainfall of about 2.2 mm till the evening, the officials said.
Minimum temperatures dipped in several places of Kashmir valley on Wednesday. Weather officials said that Srinagar city recorded a low of 4.3 degree Celsius, down from 5.2 degree Celsius on the previous night. Pahalgam recorded a low of 0.4 degree Celsius, considerably down from 2.1 degree Celsius recorded a night before.
Gulmarg recorded sub-zero level temperatures as the mercury settled at a low of minus 3.0 degree Celsius, down from minus 2.0 degree Celsius on the earlier night. Kupwara recorded a low of 3.3 degree Celsius, against 3.7 degree Celsius on the previous night.
Traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu national Highway will ply from both the sides on Thursday, the traffic department said, subject to fair weather and road conditions. Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) shall be allowed from both the sides, but commuters were advised to avoid travelling on the highway in view of the inclement weather prediction, the department said.

Reader correspondent