Srinagar: Parts of north Kashmir received light rainfall on Thursday, ahead of the weather forecast of another wet-spell to begin from 21st March, Sunday, across Kashmir valley with its peak intensity on 22nd and 23rd March.
According to weather officials, Bandipora in north Kashmir recorded 1.4 mm of rainfall on Thursday. Srinagar and Pahalgam saw only traces of rainfall during past 24 hours, the officials said.
There was no rainfall in any other part of the valley as the weather remained mostly dry.
“The peak intensity of precipitation is expected to be witnessed during upcoming Monday and Tuesday, 22nd and 23rd March, eventually resulting in moderate snowfall over higher reaches and a significant amount of rainfall over the plains of Kashmir valley. The wet-spell will start from 21st of March itself but it won’t exhibit any major impact of precipitation and only result in rainfall at scattered places of the valley. Similar sort of lesser impact of precipitation will be seen again on 24th, Wednesday”, Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, Deputy Director of the Meteorological Department in J&K, told Kashmir Reader.
He added that the weather was expected to improve by 24th March afternoon, after which it will remain mainly dry for next few days across Kashmir valley.
The minimum temperatures across Kashmir valley dipped on Thursday. Weather officials said that Srinagar city recorded a low of 4.2 degree Celsius, down from 6.2 degree Celsius on the previous night, while Qazigund recorded a low of 3.8 degree Celsius, against 5.2 degree Celsius on the earlier night.
Pahalgam recorded a low of 1.1 degree Celsius, down from 3.7 degree Celsius recorded a night before. Kokernag recorded 2.6 degree Celsius, against 5.0 degree Celsius on the previous night.
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, down from minus 0.5 degree Celsius on the earlier night. Kupwara recorded a low of 1.8 degree Celsius, against 5.2 degree Celsius of the previous night.
There will be no traffic movement on the Srinagar to Jammu National Highway on Friday owing to the weekly maintenance of the vital road, the traffic department said.

Reader correspondent