Light to moderate rains in plains, snowfall in upper reaches in J&K: Predicts MeT
The Meteorological Department Tuesday predicted light to moderate rains in plains and snowfall in the upper reaches of J&K during the next 24 hours.
The authorities also closed Mughal Road as a precautionary measure in the backdrop of fresh snowfall at Pir Ki Gali.
“There is a possibility of scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rain in plains and snow in the upper reaches during the next 24 hours in J&K,” MeT officials said here.
“There will be a gradual improvement in weather from October 20 late afternoon,” they said. “There’s no forecast of any major snowfall for next week to 10 days in J&K and Ladakh.”
Traffic officials said that the Mughal Road remained closed on Tuesday due to snowfall along Pir Ki Gali as a precautionary measure.
They said that the step had been taken keeping in view the safety of passengers travelling on the road.
MeT officials said that Srinagar recorded a low of 7 degrees Celsius against 7.4 degrees Celsius the previous night, 1.9 degrees Celsius above normal.
They said Qazigund recorded a low of 6 degrees Celsius against 5 degrees Celsius the previous four consecutive nights, 1.6 degrees Celsius below normal.
The MeT officials said that in Pahalgam, the mercury settled at 4.5 degrees Celsius against 2.6 degrees Celsius the previous night, 3 degrees Celsius above normal.
Kokernag recorded a low of 6.1 degrees Celsius against 7 degrees Celsius the previous night, 0.2 degrees Celsius above normal.
Gulmarg recorded a low of 2.2 degrees Celsius against 4 degrees Celsius the previous night, 0.7 degrees Celsius below normal.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at 5.6 degrees Celsius against 4.7 degrees Celsius the previous night, 1.1 degrees Celsius above normal. Jammu recorded a low of 18.2 degrees Celsius against 18 degrees Celsius the previous night, 0.9 degrees Celsius above normal.
Meanwhile, Security forces in Poonch’s Surankote subdivision launched a massive rescue operation as dozens of vehicles got stuck on the Mughal Road.
Officials said that the Mughal Road was closed for all kinds of vehicles on Tuesday evening and no further movement of vehicles was allowed but vehicles that were already plying on road got stuck.
“Fresh snowfall occurred in the upper reaches including the mountain passes where Mughal Road is located and a thin blanket of snow is also covering Mughal Road stretch, causing severe slippery conditions,” the officials said.
They said that several vehicles got stuck on the road, especially between Pir Ki Gali and Poshana in Poonch district’s jurisdiction after which security forces launched a massive rescue operation that was still on.
“The operation has been launched jointly by J&K Police, Traffic Police, and Indian Army. It started at around 9 pm and is still on,” Deputy SP Traffic Aftab Shah told Kashmir Post.
He said that dozens of vehicles got stuck on the road and that they cleared the majority of these vehicles and efforts were on to clear the remaining vehicles.
Talking to us, Deputy SP Surankote, Tanveer Jeelani said that 40 to 50 people had so far been evacuated from the area and provided safe passage towards Surankote.
