Fresh rain and snowfall disrupted normal life in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir Valley on Wednesday amid forecast for inclement for two more days.
The bad weather forced the authorities to close the strategic 270-km Srinagar-Jammu national highway for vehicular one way traffic. Besides, the air traffic was also disrupted with cancellation of several flights to and from Srinagar airport.
The MeT department said that plains of the Jammu division will receive rain while higher reaches both in Jammu and valley region will receive moderate to heavy snowfall.
MeT Director Sonam Lotus said that there will be gradual increase in rain and snowfall across the State followed by improvement from Friday forenoon.
The fresh snowfall in the Banihal area caused slippery road condition at Zig Post upto Jawahar Tunnel amid bad weather condition.
The Officials said fresh snowfall occurred in the Kashmir mountains including on the Pir Panjal range.
Srinagar recorded 1 degree Celsius while Pahalgam minus 0.6 and Gulmarg recorded minus 4.6. In the Ladakh area, Leh recorded minus 4.3, Kargil minus 16 and Drass minus 6.3 degrees Celsius.
The Indian Metrological Centre in Srinagar has already issued weather forecast that western disturbance will likely to affect the J&K.
The forecast said the main activity of the system could be from heavy to very heavy rain or snow most likely to occur for two more days. The weather warning said that the system is likely to cause widespread rain or snow mainly in South Kashmir, Pirpanjal Range (Doda, Batote, Bhaderwah, Ramban, Banihal and Baramulla) including Jawahar Tunnel area.
Traffic Department had scheduled one-way traffic from Srinagar to Jammu. They said nightlong rains triggered shooting stones in some portions of the highway in Ramsoo-Ramban sector. They said a fresh major landslide hit the highway at battery Chashma area in the sector.
The divisional administration Kashmir has put in place robust contingency plan and precautionary measures have been taken at all levels to meet any weather related eventuality.