Snowfall hits flight operations in Kashmir

Srinagar: Fresh snowfall in various parts of Kashmir has hit the flight operations on Saturday, officials said.

The Meteorological department has predicted widespread light to moderate snowfall and rain in Kashmir and hilly areas of Jammu with chances of heavy snowfall over higher reaches during next 24 hours.

“Due to the continuous snowfall, the visibility has reduced to 500 M and since morning there has been no flight operations,” officials at the Srinagar airport said. “ We are waiting for weather to improve to resume operations.”

The inclement weather has also resulted in the continuous closure of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway – the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country.

Officials said, the national highway continues to remain shut due to the heavy shooting stone activity near Ramsoo in Ramban district which over the last two days has witnessed incessant rains.

While the weather continues to remain wet, the minimum temperature recorded a drop across Jammu and Kashmir.

MeT said the night temperature in Srinagar was recorded at 0.5°C against 0.7°C on the previous night.. The tourist resorts of Pahalgam in Anantnag and Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla. witnessed -2.4°C and -8.3°C respectively.

The mercury settled at minus 1.0°C in north Kashmir’s frontier district of Kupwara.

Jammu city witnessed 9.5°C against 12.8°C on the previous night.

Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 10.4°C and minus 6.7°C respectively, the official said.

UNI