Srinagar: Unseasonal snowfall in parts of Kashmir brought back the winter-like conditions in the Valley while several incidents of tourists and nomadic people getting stuck due to inclement weather were also reported, officials said.
Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Qazigund areas of the Valley received snowfall early in the morning, making the roads slippery, the officials said.
The weatherman has forecast improvement in weather conditions over the next 24 hours but warned of the possibility of cloudburst or lightning on Tuesday evening.
The day temperature has dropped to around 10-15 degrees Celsius against the normal for Jammu and Kashmir, the MeT officials said.
While the tourists were in for a pleasant surprise over the snowfall, the inclement weather caused hardships for the locals.
The unseasonal snowfall led to many nomadic people and their livestock getting stuck. More than 250 sheep were rescued by police and municipal officials at Kurigam in Qazigund area of the Kulgam district after the animals were stuck on an island due to a sudden rise in the water level of a local stream, they said.
The officials said several nomadic families were moved to safer places in the upper reaches of the district, they said.
A group of eight tourists including women and children were rescued by police near Jawahar Tunnel in Qazigund after their vehicle was stuck in snowfall in the early hours of the day, the officials said.
Meanwhile, rains continue to lash plains even as the weather department forecast more precipitation in next 24 hours before “significant” improvement from May 9.
However the MeT official said while “mainly clear weather” was expected on May 9 but rain/thunderstorm in the late afternoon or evening can’t be ruled out at some places.”
From May 10-15, he said weather was expected to be “mainly dry” along with a rise in temperature. “Expect warmer days,” he said.
The MeT department reiterated advisory to farmers to postpone spraying of orchards and harvesting of crops till May 8.
Tourists have been also advised to keep warm clothes and eatables ready as weather.
He said in the last 24 hours till 0830 hours, Srinagar received 1.6mm of rainfall, Qazigund 49.8mm, Pahalgam 15.1mm, Kupwara 8.2mm, Kukernag 62.2mm, Gulmarg 10.8mm, Jammu 2.7mm, Banihal 40.2mm, Batote 20.3mmKatra 6.4mm, and Bhaderwah 9.0mm.
Regarding temperature, he said, Srinagar recorded a low of 6.7°C against 6.5°C on the previous night and it was 4.0°C above normal for the summer capital.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of 4.0°C against 5.2°C on the previous night and it was below normal by 5.2°C for the gateway town of Kashmir.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of 2.6°C against 2.1°C on previous night and it was 2.9°C below normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Kokernag recorded a low of 2.2°C against 4.2°C on the previous night and it was 7.0°C below normal for the place, the officials said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 0.4°C against 0.4°C on previous night and it was 5.6°C below normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.
In Kupwara town, he said, the mercury settled at 5.2°C against 6.3°C as on the previous night and it was 4.1°C below normal for the north Kashmir area.
Jammu recorded a low of 16.3°C against 16.1°C on the previous night and it was 6.7°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of 5.7°C (below normal by 5.2°C), Batote 6.2°C (6.6°C below normal), Katra 12.8°C (6.9°C below normal) and Bhaderwah 6.4°C (below normal by 3.2°C). Ladakh’s Leh recorded a low of 1.1°C, he added.
(PTI)

Press Trust of India