It has been raining heavily in most parts of the Kashmir Valley, including Srinagar, for the second consecutive day. The Meteorological Department in Srinagar has issued a fresh advisory for Jammu and Kashmir, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall, flash floods, and landslide risks for the next 24 hours.
The ongoing Amarnath Yatra is going on smoothly and pilgrims are having Darshan’s at the holy cave in southern Himalay’s despite the heavy rainfall across Kashmir. The continuous downpour since Tuesday has raised safety concerns along the pilgrimage route, prompting authorities to monitor the movement of devotees all along the Amarnath Yatra route from both Pahalgam and Baltal axis. The officials are taking all necessary precautions for the safety of pilgrims amidst the heavy rainfall.
The Director of MET in Srinagar, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, said that the weather across the Union Territory is expected to remain generally cloudy between July 16–17 and July 21–23, accompanied by intermittent light to moderate rain and thundershowers in several areas. He cautioned that intense showers and isolated incidents of heavy to very heavy rainfall are likely during these two weather cycles.
In addition, July 18–20 is also forecast to bring scattered to fairly widespread rain or thundershower activity. The advisory issued by the MET Centre warns of flash floods in vulnerable areas, landslides, mudslides, and shooting stones along hilly routes and key highways, particularly during the intense weather windows.
“People, especially those living in flood-prone or landslide-prone areas, are advised to avoid unnecessary travel and stay informed”.
Meanwhile, a tragic road accident claimed two lives and injured several others early this morning near the Gumri-Drass stretch on the Srinagar-Leh highway. The incident occurred when a civilian traveler vehicle carrying 17 passengers was involved in a serious mishap.
