Rains lash Valley; downpour predicted for next two days

Srinagar, Feb 24: Rains lashed Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir on Tuesday as the MeT Department here predicted widespread rains or snow across the Valley with heavy falls at a few places for the coming two days.

"Widespread rains or snow would occur in the state today and tomorrow with heavy falls at a few places," a MeT Department spokesman said here. He said there would be decrease in precipitation after Wednesday.

Although Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, experienced traces of rainfall during the night, heavy rains continued in the city since the morning. The mercury in the city went down slightly from the minimum of 6.2 degrees Celsius yesterday to settle at 5.9 degrees Celsius today, the spokesman said.

He said the minimum temperature in Gulmarg, the famous ski-resort in north Kashmir and the star attraction for tourists, especially skiers from abroad, settled at minus 0.2 degree Celsius compared to minus 0.8 degree Celsius yesterday. The resort received 2.6 mm rainfall during the night.

MeT dept: Widespread rains or snow would occur in the state

The mercury in Pahalgam hill resort in south, which serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath yatra, settled at a low of 1.5 degrees Celsius, slightly down from 2.2 degrees Celsius yesterday, the spokesman said.

He said Qazigund on Srinagar-Jammu national highway recorded a low of 3.2 degrees Celsius, up from the previous night's 2.6 degrees Celsius.

PTI