Mercury dips as rains lash parts of J&K, inclement weather to continue till Apr 6 - Hindustan Times
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Mercury dips as rains lash parts of J&K, inclement weather to continue till Apr 6

By, Jammu/srinagar
Apr 02, 2023 12:48 AM IST

As per the Met department, on Sunday, there will be some respite and the weather will improve. “But, there is a possibility of rain in the evening at some places,” met officials said. Higher reaches could receive snowfall, however, there is no forecast of heavy rain/snowfall, the weathermen said.

Rain lashed parts of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, bringing the day and night temperatures down by several notches. Met officials said another spell of rain is likely from early next week, owing to a Western difference that will affect Jammu and Kashmir from April 3 to April 6.

A woman braves the rain in Srinagar on Saturday. (Waseem Andrabi/HT)
A woman braves the rain in Srinagar on Saturday. (Waseem Andrabi/HT)

Due to this, many places will experience light to moderate intermittent rainfall.

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On Saturday, many areas in the Union Territory, including Srinagar and Jammu, received rain since early morning.

As per the Met department, on Sunday, there will be some respite and the weather will improve. “But, there is a possibility of rain in the evening at some places,” met officials said. Higher reaches could receive snowfall, however, there is no forecast of heavy rain/snowfall, the weathermen said. The weather will remain inconsistent till April 6, with possibility of thunderstorms and gusty winds, after which it will improve and the temperatures will also increase, they added.

Advisory for farmers, commuters

The department has urged farmers to postpone spraying orchards and irrigating fields till April 6.

The MeT department also urged commuters to confirm from traffic authorities the road status of various highways and roads before starting the travel.

Vaishno Devi shrine board suspends chopper services

Meanwhile, heavy rains over Trikuta hills prompted Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board to suspend chopper services from Katra to Sanji Chhat.

“Due to heavy rains, helicopter service has been suspended today. However, battery car service is being operated. The pilgrimage is going on smoothly,” said an official spokesperson.

The traffic movement on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway (NH44) was affected briefly this morning at Ramban.

Ramban SSP Mohita Sharma said, “The highway is clear and there is no disruption now.”

Over the last 24 hours, Jammu recorded 13.7mm rain, Banihal 7.8 mm, Batote 14.1 mm, Katra 12.8mm, Bhaderwah 13.8mm and Kathua 20 mm.

Similarly, Srinagar received 5.2mm rainfall, Qazigund 1.6mm, Pahalgam 3.3mm, Kupwara 5.3mm, Kokernag 9.0mm and Gulmarg 3.4mm.

Srinagar recorded a low of 9.1°C during night, Qazigund 8.0°C and tourist resort of Pahalgam recorded a low of 4.6°C while Gulmarg registered 0.8°C during the night. Jammu recorded a low of 14.7°C.

Deficit rain in March

Independent weather expert Faizan Keng Jammu and Kashmir’s rainfall shortage has continued into March, with the area experiencing a deficit of 48% for the month. “This marks the third year in a row that March has suffered from a lack of rain.

He said that between March 1 and 31, Jammu and Kashmir recorded a meagre 78.9mm of rainfall, which is significantly below the average of 152.9 mm. Meanwhile, Ladakh remained deficient by a staggering 73%, with just 1.1 mm of rainfall recorded against an average of 4.0 mm. “March is when the Kashmir region receives the most rainfall and snowfall, with heavy snowfall in the higher areas contributing to the growth of its glaciers. While this year’s March has seen an improvement compared to that of the previous year’s March, the overall trend remains concerning.”

(with PTI inputs)

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