Srinagar: After witnessing above normal day temperature during the last couple of days, weather turned pleasant as rain lashed the summer capital, Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir, where hailstorm caused damage to fruit crops and vegetables in Pulwama district on Monday.
However, the night temperature improved and settled several degrees above normal in the valley, where light to moderate rain is expected to occur during the next 48 hour at some places.
A Met department spokesperson told UNI that light to moderate rain would occur at some places in the valley during the next 48 hours under the influence of a Western Disturbance (WD), which is active in the region. “The weather is expected to improve from Tuesday onwards though light rain could continue at isolated places in the valley throughout this week.
People in the summer capital, Srinagar, woke up to a sunny Monday morning, when shops and business establishments reopened as the process of partial unlocking started in Kashmir valley after month-long COVID curfew imposed to curtail the spread of COVID-19. The nigh temperature in the city improved about 3 degree from Sunday and settled at 15.4 degree, which is over 3.4 degree above normal. However, as the day progressed, skies were covered with cloudy followed by light to moderate rain, resulting in dip in the maximum temperature.
The spokesperson said that skies would be partly cloudy to very light rain and thundershowers during the next 24 hours in Srinagar, where the maximum and minimum temperatures would settle at 27 degree and 14 degree, respectively.
Intermittent rain lashed at world famous ski resort of Gulmarg, about 55 km from here in north Kashmir, since early this morning, resulting in pleasant weather. Gulmarg has remained deserted since April 29 even as very few tourists have started to visit the ski resort from the last couple of days. The ski resort witnessed a good number of tourists during the winter season though the footfall of visitors declined due to second wave of COVID-19. The night temperature at Gulmarg improved about 3 degree from Sunday and settled at 10.5 degree, which is over 3 degree above normal.
Heavy rain and hailstorm have caused damage to fruit crops and vegetables in south Kashmir district of Pulwama. Many other parts of the valley have also witnessed damage to fruit crops due to hailstorms and heavy rain this month. Horticulture is the mainstay of the economy in Kashmir with lakhs of people associated with this sector.
Rain also lashed the world famous health resort of Pahalgam, about 100 km from here in south Kashmir, which remained deserted since April 29 due to the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. The mercury at Pahalgam improved about a degree from Sunday and settled at 7.9 degree, which is about 2 degree above normal.
Weather turned pleasant in other parts of the valley as well due to intermittent light to moderate rain.
