Heavy snowfall in Kashmir

Srinagar, March 2 (IANS) The Kashmir Valley witnessed heavy snowfall on Monday, disrupting surface and air traffic and the Met office has forecast more rain and snowfall till Tuesday.

"Due to the Western Disturbances active over Jammu and Kashmir, weather conditions will remain the same. There will be more snowfall till Tuesday," Met office director Sonam Lotus told IANS here.

The Jammu-Srinagar highway was closed for all sorts of vehicular traffic because of heavy snowfall in Banihal sector and landslides in Ramban sector, an official said.

Due to accumulation of snowfall on the runway and poor visibility, all flights from the Srinagar airport have been cancelled on Monday, the official added.

"However, there is going to be decrease in precipitation level from Monday evening," Lotus said.

There has been eight cm of snowfall in Srinagar till Monday morning while the minimum temperature was recorded at 0.4 degrees Celsius, said the Met director.

"The minimum temperature was minus 3.2 degrees Celsius in Gulmarg while 42 cm of snowfall was recorded till Monday morning. The minimum temperature was minus 0.4 degrees Celsius in Pahalgam with 25 cm of snowfall," Lotus said.

"The minimum temperature in Kargil was recorded at minus 6.6 degrees Celsius with six cm of snowfall. The minimum temperature in Leh was recorded at minus 0.9 degrees Celsius. In Jammu, the minimum temperature was 11.3 degrees Celsius," Lotus said.