Rains, snow in J&K

Srinagar, Dec 10 (IANS) Rains lashed the plains of Jammu and Kashmir, while fresh snowfall occurred in the higher reaches of the state on Monday. The weather office has forecast more rain and snow during the next 24 hours in the state. Snowfall occurred in Minimarg in Kargil, Gulmarg and Pir Ki Gali. As a precautionary measure, authorities have closed the Mughal Road and the Srinagar-Leh highway. "The minimum temperatures rose above the freezing point in Srinagar after 10 days due to night-long cloud cover on Monday," a Met Department official said. The minimum temperatures in Kargil, Leh, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Srinagar were minus 8.7 degrees Celsius, minus 7.4, minus 6.0, 0.3 and 2.4, respectively. Jammu city recorded 10.8 degrees Celsius, Katra 10.2, Batote 6.1, Bannihal 5.5 and Bhaderwah 4.7 as the night's lowest temperatures.