Landslides Disrupt Jammu Highway Traffic; Rain, Snow Forecast For J&K

The Jammu-Srinagar highway remained closed for vehicular traffic on Wednesday due to landslides. "Nightlong rain has triggered landslides at few places on the highway in the Ramsoo-Ramban sector. We have momentarily halted traffic for the safety of travellers," a traffic department official said.

Traffic will be allowed once the landslide debris is cleared, the official added.

The weather department has forecast moderate rain and snow in Jammu and Kashmir in the next 24 hours. The forecast is for the next 24 hours till Thursday, a Met official said.

The minimum temperature settled at 1.8 degrees Celsius today, while in Pahalgam and Gulmarg it was minus 0.5 and minus 5.6. Leh recorded a minus 7.6, minus 13 in Kargil and minus 7.2 in Drass.

Temperatures in Jammu city was recorded at 12.6 degrees Celsius, Katra 10.3, Batote 1.6, Bannihal 0.4 and Bhaderwah 1.4.

The MET department has also predicted a spell of moderate heavy rain and snowfall forecast in Himachal Pradesh in the next two days. "There are chances of heavy rain and snowfall at some places in the state till Thursday," Shimla's Meteorological office Director Manmohan Singh told news agency IANS.

People across the state including tourists have been advised to avoid travelling to higher points in the state.

During this period, roads are likely to be less accessible especially in Chamba, Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti, Shimla and Kinnaur districts, the weather bureau said.

Prominent tourist cities like Shimla, Narkanda, Kufri, Kalpa, Dalhousie and Manali are likely to receive light to moderate spells of snowfall, he added.