Kashmir receives seasons first snowfall, floods likely in Orissa

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Sep 4 (UNI) The upper reaches of the Kashmir valley today experienced the season's first snowfall, resulting in considerable drop in temperatures forcing the people to wear woolens and jackets.

The world famous ski resort of Gulmarg received eight inches of snowfall since last evening. Heavy snowfall was also recorded at the holy cave shrine of Amarnath, Sheshnag, Mahagunas, Baltal, Panjhtarni, Pissu Top, Khilanmarg, Yusmarg, Sonamarg, Baltal, Apharwat, Kongdoori, Thwaja, Gogjipather, Alepather, Bavsar and Lidru besides several other high altitude areas.

More than two ft of snowfall was recorded in Kargil district's Drass area, the second coldest place on earth after Siberia.

The Met department said the rainfall recorded this time was the highest in the month of September during the past 26 years. Earlier, heavy rains of this magnitude were recorded in 1980, the Met office added.

Kashmir, meanwhile, continued to remain cut off from the rest of the country via land route for the fourth consecutive day today after the 300-km Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the lifeline of the Valley, was closed due to landslides triggered by heavy rains since Friday, leaving hundreds of passengers and vehicles stranded.

The 434-km Srinagar-Leh highway was also closed for the fourth day due to landslides at several places.

The Border Roads organisation (BRO) men have been mobilised and they were working to clear both the highways for vehicular traffic.

However, non-stop rains are making it difficult for them to clear the highways.

However, the water continued to rise in river Jhelum and other streams and nullahs.

Prevailing bad weather in the valley has also forced the authorities to postpone the four-day Gulmarg festival, beginning September 7. The new dates of the festival would be announced soon.

The flood situation in coastal and north Orissa worsened further as a depression formed over North West Bay of Bengal crossed the north Orissa coast and lay centred west of Chandbali. Met sources said the system is likely to move further and move in west-north westerly direction to cause heavy to very heavy rains at a few places and rain and thunder showers at many places during the next 24 hours.

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