Weather set to improve in Jammu and Kashmir

Srinagar, March 3 (IANS) The weather is likely to improve from Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir as rail, road and air traffic continued to be affected for the second consecutive day due to heavy snowfall and poor visibility.

"There will be decrease in precipitation from today (Tuesday) onwards and the weather is likely to remain mainly dry for the next two to three days," an official of the local weather office told IANS.

The minimum temperature in summer capital Srinagar was 0.7 degree Celsius.

Mercury dipped below the freezing point in Pahalgam and Gulmarg and recorded minus 2.3 and minus 4 degrees respectively.

In the Kashmir Valley, provincial administration postponed all board and university exams which were scheduled to be held on Monday and Tuesday.

"All the Kashmir University examinations which were scheduled for March 2 and 3 were postponed due to heavy snowfall and fresh dates for examination will be notified separately," a university official said.

The incessant rains and snowfall during the last two days have led to disruption of road, rail and air traffic in the state.

No flight landed at Srinagar airport in the morning while all flights were cancelled yesterday to the Valley due to poor visibility, an airport official said.

The national highway which connects the valley with Jammu region remained closed for the second day Tuesday due to heavy snowfall triggering landslides at many places.

In Jammu city, there is a forecast of thundershowers accompanied by light rain during the next 24 hours where night temperature was 10.8 degree Celsius on Monday night.

"There will be generally cloudy sky in Ladakh region," the weather official said.

The minimum temperature of Leh town of Ladakh region was minus 3 degrees Celsius and of Kargil town of the same region was minus 8.0 degree Celsius.