Vehicular movement halts on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway after mudslide, yellow alert issued for 4 days

Following a mudslide in the Chamba Seri region of Ramban in Jammu and Kashmir, vehicular movement on both sides of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway has been stopped.

The travel advisory was issued by the Jammu and Kashmir traffic police on Thursday morning. Commuters have been advised not to travel on NH-44 till the weather improves and the road is clear.

A yellow alert, dated May 9 to May 12, has been issued by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) for Jammu and Kashmir. The state is likely to experience thunderstorms, accompanied by lightning.

Parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Telangana. Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are also likely to see rainfall till May 11. Punjab and Haryana might witness a spell of rain on May 10 and 11.

Gradual temperature rise of around 3 to 5 degrees will be observed in East India for the next 3 days, IMD predicted on May 7. Whereas, the same temperature rise is likely over Northwest India for the next 7 days.

Additionally, earlier on Tuesday afternoon, Shimla in Himachal Pradesh witnessed fresh rainfall again.

Looking ahead, the IMD forecast indicates the possibility of light to moderate rain in the plains and mid-hill regions till May 8, while higher reaches are likely to witness snowfall. These weather activities are expected to persist over the next 4 to 5 days. Additionally, night-time thunderstorms and gusty winds are likely, particularly in Chamba, Kangra, Una, Bilaspur, and Hamirpur districts. Isolated hailstorms are expected in Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Solan, Sirmaur, and Kangra.

According to IMD data, rainfall for the month of May so far has been 22% above normal across the state. However, some districts, including Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti, have received below-average rainfall, while six districts have recorded above-normal rainfall, and the rest are close to average.