No threat of flood in Kashmir due to rainfall: met office

Jammu/Srinagar, March 18: Incessant rains continued on Friday in Jammu and Kashmir even as the weather office dispelled fears of any impending floods in the state.

"Let me make it clear, there is no threat of flood in the state so far because of the rains that have been occurring here," Sonam Lotus, director of Jammu and Kashmir meteorological department, told IANS.

"We are expecting reduction in rainfall activity in Jammu and Kashmir from today (Friday) onwards," he said.

"This, however, does not mean there would be no rainfall anywhere during the next three to four days. Thunderstorms and scattered rainfall activity could occur during the next few days, but there is no reason to panic as rivers and other water bodies are unlikely to swell up alarmingly because of the rainfall."

There has been appreciable decrease in night temperatures because of the rainfall in the plains and snow in the higher reaches during the last two days in the state.

"The minimum temperature was 1.9 degrees Celsius in Srinagar city today (Friday) which is three degrees below normal. The minimum was minus 1.5 in Gulmarg, 1.0 in Pahalgam; zero in Leh town and minus 4.0 in Kargil town of Ladakh region," another official of the meteorological department said.

"The minimum temperature in Jammu city was 14.5 today (Friday). It was 11.5 in Katra town, 4.1 in Batote, 5.0 in Bannihal, 4.1 in Bhaderwah and 12.5 in Udhampur town of the Jammu region."

Water-logging at most places in Srinagar city caused inconvenience to pedestrians and motorists.

Floods devastated Kashmir in September 2014, making people apprehensive of another inundation during heavy rainfall.

IANS