Kashmir braces for chaos: snowstorms trigger Avalanche warning, next 24 hours critical

Srinagar (The Uttam Hindu) : The night temperature in Srinagar city remained above the freezing point in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, while it dropped below zero degrees Celsius in Gulmarg and Pahalgam hill stations. The Meteorological Department said the minimum temperature in Srinagar was 3 degrees Celsius, while in Gulmarg and Pahalgam it was minus 4.2 and minus 2.2 degrees Celsius respectively.

The Meteorological Department has issued an avalanche warning for five districts of Jammu and Kashmir. Officials said in this regard that in view of the recent heavy snowfall in the higher reaches of the Union Territory, an avalanche warning has been issued in five districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. The Meteorological Department has issued a low-danger avalanche warning for five districts - Doda, Ganderbal, Kishtwar, Poonch and Ramban. They said that there is a possibility of avalanches above 2,800 meters in these districts during the next 24 hours. People have been asked to avoid avalanche-prone areas and follow official advice.

Avalanches occur when large amounts of snow accumulate on high peaks, and the pressure causes the snow to shift. Layers of snow slide and flow rapidly downhill, sweeping away anything in their path. Therefore, mountaineering is extremely risky.