Srinagar, Apr 19 (UNI) Heavy rainfall lashed the Kashmir Valley over the past 24 hours, causing waterlogging in low-lying areas and disrupting life.
While the Jammu Srinagar is open for traffic, other key roads, including Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumuri (SSG) road that connects Srinagar to Leh , Bandipora –Gurez road in north Kashmir, Mughal road which connects south Kashmir with Pir Panjal region of Jammu division, Sinthan road that connects Anantnag with Kishtwar are temporarily closed due to snow accumulation.
Officials said traffic on these roads will be allowed after getting green signal from road maintenance agencies as per advisory.
Amid inclement weather conditions, authorities in Bandipora district suspended classwork up to Class VIII in Tulail and up to Class 5th in Tehsil Gurez on Saturday as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of students.
In Kashmir several districts received significant precipitation, with tourist resort of Gulmarg recording the highest rainfall.
According to the data from the Meteorological Department, Gulmarg in north Kashmir received 35.2 mm of rain, followed closely by Kokarnag in south Kashmir with 33.2 mm, Kupwara 20 mm, and Qazigund at 27.4 mm.
Srinagar, the summer capital, recorded 18.3 mm of rainfall.
In Jammu division, Batote received 15.4 mm of rain- the highest in the region.
MeT said the Jammu and Kashmir is likely to experience widespread light to moderate rain and thunderstorms over the next 24 hours. During this period isolated areas may witness heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching speeds of 50-60 kmph.
The weather is expected to improve gradually with a significant decrease in precipitation from the evening of April 20 onwards.
The downpour brought a significant drop in temperatures across Kashmir.
The night temperatures across Jammu and Kashmir, however, remained notably above normal, with several areas recording deviations ranging from 1°C to 7°C above the seasonal average, the MeT said.
In the Kashmir division, most places recorded minimum temperatures 1°C to 4°C above normal. The ski resort of Gulmarg emerged as the coldest spot in the Valley, recording a minimum of 1.4°C.
In the Jammu division, night temperatures were even warmer, ranging 1°C to 7°C above normal. Bhaderwah recorded the lowest temperature in the division at 11.2°C.
UNI MJR KK