Srinagar: After witnessing bright sunshine in the morning, the weather changed abruptly in the afternoon due to overcast conditions followed by rain in the summer capital, Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir valley, where the maximum temperature settled below normal.
Meanwhile, barring Srinagar and the tourist resort of Pahalgam, the night temperature also remained below normal across the valley, where another spell of wet weather is predicted from Wednesday onwards.
A Met department spokesperson told UNI that light rain and thundershowers would occur at some places in the valley on Sunday. “There will be slight improvement in the weather for two day from Monday when light rain would occur at isolated places in the valley,” he said.
However, he said a fresh Western Disturbance (WD), which originated from the Arabian Sea and is approaching the region through Afghanistan and Pakistan, would hit the region on Wednesday. “This WD would result in another spell of wet weather for at least four days from Wednesday,” he said, adding the system will be strongest on Friday and Saturday.
He said there is a prediction of thundershowers, lightning and hail with gusty winds (30-40 km/hour) at isolated places in the valley for the coming week.
People woke up to a sunny Sunday morning in Srinagar, where streets and markers remained deserted for the 18th successive day due to COVID curfew that was extended for another week till May 24 to curtail the spread of the virus. However, as the day progressed clouds covered the skies in the afternoon followed by a brief spell of rain in the evening, resulting in dip in the maximum temperature, which settled about 4 degree below normal at 21.4 degree.
The spokesperson said that skies would be partly cloudy to light rain and thundershowers during the next 24 hours in the city.
Sun played hide and seek at world famous ski resort of Gulmarg, about 55 km from here in north Kashmir, followed by intermittent rain in the evening, resulting in dip in the day temperature. The maximum temperature at the ski resort, which remained deserted due to COVID curfew since April 29, settled at 11 degree, which is about 6 degree below normal.
It was raining in other parts of the valley, including north, central and south Kashmir. The maximum and minimum temperatures at Qazigund, gateway to the valley, Kupwara and tourist resort of Kokernag settled below normal due to overcast conditions and rain.
Light rain was also reported at world famous tourist resort of Pahalgam, about 100 km from here in south Kashmir. The maximum temperature at the resort settled 1.5 degree below normal though minimum temperature settled slightly above normal.
