Snowfall in higher reaches of Kashmir valley

Minor siblings die of cold

Srinagar:

The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg and other higher reaches of Kashmir received snowfall for the second day on Tuesday, while the plains were lashed by rains, the MET Office.

It said there would be a decrease in precipitation in the union territory from Wednesday.

Snowfall continued in many areas in the higher reaches of the valley on Tuesday with Gulmarg, in north Kashmir, recording about seven inches of fresh snowfall, officials said.

They said other areas like Gurez, Mughal Road and Zojilla axis on Srinagar-Leh road also received fresh snowfall which was going on when the last reports came in.

The officials said most places in the plains of the valley received heavy rains which continued this morning.

The fresh snowfall and rains have led to the closure of the Srinagar-Leh road connecting the Kashmir valley with Ladakh u as well as the Mughal Road the alternate road-link connecting the valley with the Jammu region, the officials said.

The MET Office on Monday issued an ‘Orange Colour’ weather warning for hilly areas of J-K and Ladakh and said the weather was most likely to deteriorate on Tuesday in both the UTs.

It said there would be decrease in the precipitation across both the union territories from Wednesday.

However, there is a possibility of another spell of widespread rains/snowfall on Saturday, the MET Office said.

Gulmarg was the only place in the Kashmir valley to record sub-zero temperatures last night as the mercury there settled at a low of minus 2.4 degrees Celsius, the officials said.

All the remaining weather stations in the valley, including Pahalgam, recorded the minimum temperature above zero degrees Celsius, with the night temperature in Srinagar settling at a low of 2.4 degrees Celsius, the officials said.