Srinagar-Jammu highway closed due to landslides; fog hits rail

Dense fog in parts of northern states affected rail traffic while an avalanche warning was issued today for some parts of Jammu and Kashmir, where landslides led to closure of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.
Besides east Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi, dense fog also occurred at isolated places over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and Bihar.
"42 trains were running behind schedule by several hours due to fog. 28 trains were rescheduled and five cancelled due to the poor visibility," a senior railway official here said.
It was a pleasant day in the national capital with a foggy morning and the minimum temperature settling a notch below the normal at 9.5 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature was recorded at 25.1 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season's average.

The Srinagar-Jammu national highway was closed for traffic after landslides near Ramban and Battery Cheshma, even as the weather remained dry in Kashmir with the night temperature settling close to the freezing point at most places.
Many vehicles were stranded along the nearly 300-km-long highway the only all weather road link connecting Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country, and would only be allowed to proceed further once the debris is cleared, an official told PTI.

The MeT department has forecast scattered to fairly widespread rains or snowfall in the state tomorrow.
"Medium danger" warning exists for avalanche-prone slopes in Kupwara, Bandipora, Anantnag, Baramula, Ganderbal, Kulgam, Budgam, Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar and Kargil districts of Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh-based Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment's (SASE) advisory said.

Srinagar recorded a low of 0.8 degrees Celsius, a remarkable improvement after the 40-day harshest winter period 'Chillai-Kalan' ended on January 31.
Leh town in Ladakh region registered a low of minus 8.3 degrees Celsius, making it the coldest recorded place in the state. The ski resort of Gulmarg recorded a minimum of minus 5.4 degrees Celsius.
Day temperatures rose marginally in Himachal Pradesh and weather remained dry under partially overcast sky, even as the tribal areas and other higher hills continued to reel under cold wave conditions.