The widespread heavy rain and snow in Jammu and Kashmir had triggered landslides and forced authorities to close down the 300 km long Jammu-Srinagar national highway due to safety concerns. Thus, the approaching break from heavy rain and snow is more than welcome. After a spell of consistently heavy rain and snow, sun will finally shine in the hilly areas. This will cause day temperatures to rise whereas a marginal fall will be observed in the minimums.
However, this ‘sunny’ interval will only be a two-day break before another western disturbance affects the region on the night of February 23. This fresh western disturbance will continue to bring rain and snow in the area till next weekend.
Meanwhile, adjoining areas will also be affected by the fresh western disturbance affecting the western Himalayan region. The plains of Punjab, Haryana, and even Delhi may also experience scattered rain with isolated areas witnessing hailstorms. Recently, these areas received short spells of rain triggered by south-easterlies.