SRINAGAR: A heavy spell of incessant rain since Sunday evening wreaked havoc across the Kashmir Valley, with moderate to heavy rainfall inundating roads and low-lying areas.
Higher reaches experienced fresh snowfall, further disrupting normal life on Monday. The Jammu-Srinagar highway and Mughal Road were closed due to the incessant rains, leading to the suspension of classes in many schools in north Kashmir by the administration. Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir received moderate to heavy rainfall, resulting in waterlogging and disruption of normal life.
Additionally, some upper reaches, including Gulmarg, Gurez Valley, Razdan Top, Sadhna Top, Mughal Road, and Zojila Pass, received light snowfall.
According to Meteorological Department data, Srinagar received 38.6mm of rainfall, while other areas like Qazigund, Pahalgam, Kupwara, Kokernag, and Gulmarg also experienced significant rainfall in the past 24 hours. Although water levels rose in Nallahs and streams across the valley, officials assured that there was no immediate threat of floods.
In Kupwara district, all school classes were suspended due to the inclement weather and avalanche warnings issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Disaster Management Authority.
The water gauge measurements at 10 am showed various levels along the river Jehlum and its tributaries, indicating the extent of the rising water levels. The Meteorological Department forecasted generally cloudy weather with the possibility of light to moderate rain/snow and the likelihood of heavy rain, thunder, lightning, hail, and gusty winds over isolated places in Jammu & Kashmir.
While maximum temperatures improved slightly, they remained below normal by 5-10 degrees Celsius in the Kashmir Valley. Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 16.6 degrees Celsius, forcing residents and tourists to wear warm clothes. Meanwhile, the minimum temperature in Srinagar was recorded at 5.3 degrees Celsius, significantly below normal for this time of year. Pahalgam recorded a low of 7.2 degrees Celsius, while Gulmarg registered minus 1 degree Celsius.
