17 flights cancelled as dense fog engulfs Jammu

Seventeen flights to and from the Jammu airport were cancelled as dense fog engulfed the region on Tuesday, a day after high-altitude areas, including the Vaishno Devi shrine, received the season's first heavy snowfall, officials said.

Jammu Airport Director Pravat Ranjan Beuria said all but one flight scheduled for the day were cancelled due to “poor visibility”.

“Only one flight could land at the Jammu airport around 3 pm, while rest of the 17 flights scheduled to operate to and from Jammu were cancelled,” Beuria told PTI.

He said the poor visibility remained the major problem throughout the day.

“The visibility was around zero at 9 am and remained much below the required level (1,000 to 1,200 metres) during the day, prompting the cancellation of all the flights. Only one flight could land when the visibility improved for a brief period,” the director said.

Normal life was hit across the Jammu plains by the dense fog and chilly weather, the officials said.

The fog cleared in most parts by noon, providing some relief to the people even as the winter Sun remained hidden behind the clouds, they added.

The minimum temperature in Jammu fell by over two notches compared to the previous night to settle at 3.7 degrees Celsius, which is 3.7 degrees below the normal during this part of the season, a spokesperson of the Meteorological Department said.

He said the city recorded a maximum of 12.5 degrees Celsius against the previous day's 13.2 degrees Celsius, which is also 6.5 degrees below season's average.

The cold wave intensified after the day and night temperatures plunged below the season's average following moderate to heavy snowfall in the high-altitude areas in most parts of Jammu region during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

The Vaishno Devi Shrine in Reasi experienced its first snowfall, while other high-altitude areas, including Patnitop hill station in Udhampur and the upper reaches of Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Poonch, Kathua, Reasi and Ramban, also witnessed fresh snowfall.

While the Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained open for traffic, Mughal Road, which connects the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region with south Kashmir's Shopian district, was closed after Peer Ki Gali and adjoining areas witnessed heavy snowfall.