Met office predicts erratic weather in Jammu and Kashmir for next week

Srinagar: The weather office on Tuesday predicted erratic weather in Jammu and Kashmir for the next week and urged farmers to avoid spraying during the period.

Sonam Lotus, director of the meteorological department said that weather will remain erratic till March 15.

“We expect intermittent rain with thunderstorm and snow over higher reaches mainly during March 11 to 13,” he said

Lotus said that the weather may affect highways on the Banihal-Ramban stretch and in Zojila s as the precipitation was likely to cause landslides and snow slides.

He also urged farmers to suspend their operations for the time being.

“Farmers are advised to avoid spraying orchards and other farm operations till March 15,” he said.

Rain and snow have lashed parts of Kashmir valley intermittently since Sunday improving the night temperatures but bringing down the mercury during the day.

“Gulmarg recorded 37 cm snow in the past 24 hours,” meteorologist Mohammad Hussain Mir said on Tuesday morning.

The maximum temperature on Monday in Srinagar was 6.6 degree Celsius while it was 5.2 degrees during the night. In Pahalgam and Gulmarg, the minimum temperatures plunged to 2.1 degrees and minus 2 degrees Celsius respectively.

In the union territory of Ladakh, the minimum temperature in Leh was minus 4.3 degrees while Kargil was minus 4.4 degrees. The coldest place of the country Drass recorded minus 10.5 degrees. (Agency)