Strong Winds Uproot Trees in Srinagar, Cleanup Efforts in Full Swing

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 28 

Strong winds uprooted some trees in various parts of Srinagar last night, causing damage to a few properties and some vehicles.

A picture depicts a badly damaged car after a big tree fell on it, flattening the vehicle.

The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) soon initiated cleanup operations to clear the trees and rubble that had come down, ensuring the public is safe and traffic can resume.

Mehraj Din Buza, a SMC officia said, "Several places have been damaged due to the high winds last night. Our men have been working on the repair job from this morning. We request that people do not park their vehicles on the road or in areas where trees can fall. We are getting reports of damage from numerous locations."

The staff is making efforts to repair the damage caused by the storm and to avoid any further risks.

Resident officials are requesting citizens to exercise caution as long as the cleaning is underway and to report to the SMC any further tree hazards.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) indicated that weather conditions in Jammu and Kashmir have been extremely altered in the past 24 hours.

Daytime temperatures have risen by 0°C to 5°C in most parts of Jammu and Kashmir. The maximum temperatures were recorded in Jammu at 34.0°C and Kathua at 33.8°C, the weather department said on Thursday.

Daytime temperatures in the Kashmir Division, however, have fallen by 2°C to 8°C, with Qazigund and Kukernag recording the maximum temperatures at 20.4°C and 20.6°C.

Concerning nighttime temperatures, there have been marginal variations of 0°C to 2°C in various regions of the state. Bhaderwah (9.1°C) and Banihal (10.4°C) in Jammu Division witnessed the lowest temperatures, while Gulmarg (0.6°C) and Kupwara (5.7°C) witnessed the lowest temperatures at night in the Kashmir Division.

For Northwest India, the IMD has predicted that heatwave days would almost double this year.

Normally, the region experiences around five to six heatwave days in a season, but this season it may experience 10 to 12 days.

She also mentioned that while the prediction indicates above-normal heat for the season, the IMD will keep updating its forecasts with both long-term and daily predictions to give more precise local information. 

The IMD official did not say whether this year will be hotter than 2024, which was the hottest year recorded in India. Last year, the country had 554 heatwave days.