Jammu: Rain in plains of Jammu region on Saturday brought respite from scorching heat, while unseasonal snowfall in high altitude areas resulted in closure of different hilly roads and also perished dozens of livestock, officials said.
According to the officials, a cloudburst also washed away dozens of sheep and goats belonging to the nomadic Bakerwal community in Dachhan area of Kishtwar this evening.
However, there was no human loss in the incident, they said.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of School Education Jammu (DSEJ) announced a 40-day — June 7 till July 16 — annual summer vacation for students of all government and recognised private schools falling under the summer zone of Jammu division.
The officials said two to three inches of snowfall was reported from different high altitude areas of Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi, Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar districts.
The unseasonal snowfall forced closure of many hilly roads, including Mughal road connecting Poonch and Rajouri districts in Jammu with Kashmir’s Shopian district and Sinthan road connecting Kishtwar in Jammu with Anantnag in Kashmir, they said.
The snowfall in Peer Ki Gali along Mughal road and Margal top, Sinthan top and Warwan in Kishtwar and Chasana in Reasi disrupted the normal life and also resulted in death of several sheep and goats, they said.
A couple of mud-houses and cowsheds also collapsed due to heavy rains in the hilly areas of Rajouri and Reasi but there was no loss of life, the officials said.
Jammu recorded a maximum of 32.9 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 19.3 degrees Celsius, both the temperatures being over 6 notches below normal during this part of the season, a spokesman of the weather office said.
The winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir was reeling under intense heat wave for the past week with the temperature hovering around 40 degrees Celsius. The drop in the day and night temperature in Jammu, which recorded 2.8 mm of rains with gusty winds and overcast skies, came as a big relief to the people.
Katra, the base camp for pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district, recorded a high of 28.6 degrees Celsius and a low of 17.2 degrees Celsius, the spokesman said, adding the town recorded 21.4 mm of rainfall during the day.
The weatherman predicted widespread light to moderate rain possibility of light snow over higher reaches during the next 24 hours.
