Fresh western disturbances expected to hit Valley by weekend: MeT

Srinagar: Upper reaches received fresh snow while rains lashed plains in Kashmir on Thursday bringing down mercury in the region.
The meteorological centre (Met) had predicted widespread rains over the plains and snowfall over the upper reaches of Kashmir valley on Thursday and Friday. It had issued “Yellow warning” for this period with the forewarning, that the impact of precipitation was likely to lead into the disruption of traffic on Srinagar-Jammu National highway along with Srinagar-Leh highway.
However, the MeT said that the level of precipitation which was seen on Thursday will eventually witness a drop on Friday followed by the significant improvement in weather by evening. On Saturday, there is any major possibility of precipitation as the weather is expected to stay dry for the day across Kashmir, said the officials.
“As predicted, there was widespread rainfall in the plains and snowfall in the higher reaches of Kashmir valley today. But there will be a gradual decrease in precipitation tomorrow due to which people will experience a blend of weather with occasional sunshine, clouds and intermittent rainfall. The weather will improve Friday evening and will remain dry for the entire day of Saturday,” said MeT deputy director Dr Mukhtar Ahmad.
However, he said, another wet spell was expected in Kashmir on March 14 and 15. It will bring light snowfall over the higher reaches and plains of the valley but with the lesser intensity of precipitation.
“A fresh western disturbance is likely to impact J&K during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday,” he added.
After this, the weather is expected to improve by March 16, Tuesday and will remain dry for next few days across the Valley.
Kashmir valley has been experiencing wet spells over the past days, though intermittently. However, since the past two days, there has been widespread intensity of precipitation over the upper reaches and plains of Kashmir valley.
On Thursday, few upper reaches including famous ski-resort Gulmarg received fresh snowfall as the officials said, that since past 24 hours till Thursday evening, the place accumulated about 10 inches of fresh snow. Other places like Lolab and Hafruda in the upper reaches of Kupwara also received fresh snowfall of about one to two inches, reports said.
While the upper reaches received snowfall, the plains across Kashmir valley were lashed by the rains for the second consecutive day on Thursday with Srinagar city recording about 15.7 cm of rainfall till Thursday evening. Qazigund recorded 5.4 mm, Pahalgam 8.3 mm, and Kokernag about 4.4 mm of rainfall with Kupwara in north Kashmir recording major rainfall of about 27 mm till Wednesday evening, the officials said.
Due to the wet spell, the minimum temperatures increased across Kashmir valley on Thursday. The weather officials said that Srinagar city recorded a low of 6.8 degree Celsius, up from 4.3 degree Celsius on the previous night with Qazigund recording a low of 5.7 degree Celsius, against 4.4 degree Celsius on the earlier night.
Pahalgam recorded a low of 1.6 degree Celsius, up from 0.4 degree Celsius recorded a night before along with the mercury in Kokernag settled at a low of 4.3 degree Celsius, against 2.7 degree Celsius on the previous night, the officials said.
However, the famous ski-resort Gulmarg continues to reel under sub-zero temperatures with the mercury on Thursday settling at a low of minus 1.5 degree Celsius, up from minus 3.0 degree Celsius on the earlier night. The Kupwara in North Kashmir recorded a low of 4.4 degree Celsius, against 3.3 degree Celsius of the previous night, said the officials.
Meanwhile, there will be no traffic movement on the Srinagar to Jammu National Highway today owing to the weekly maintenance of the strategic road. Traffic Police said that no vehicular movement would be allowed from either side on Jammu-Srinagar highway between Nashree and Jawahar Tunnel on Friday in view of the maintenance and repairing of the road.

KALEEM GEELANI