Srinagar: A severe drop in visibility across Jammu and the surrounding regions caused widespread flight disruptions, including the cancellation of all evening flights on Sunday and delays in arrivals and departures on Monday morning.
The adverse weather conditions even forced Jammu and Kashmir's Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, to take the road to the winter capital, as flights were unable to operate due to the thick fog and haze.
A senior official confirmed that low visibility, caused by smog-like conditions, had affected air traffic since Sunday evening. With no flights operating the previous day, and both incoming and outgoing flights delayed on Monday, Omar had no choice but to forgo air travel and instead embarked on a road trip from Srinagar to Jammu.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Chief Minister shared his experience, saying, "Poor visibility in Jammu meant a sudden, last-minute road trip. Nothing flew in or out from Jammu yesterday, so I had to saddle up and drive to the winter capital." In a separate post, he said: "From the balcony of the official residence, it seems unlikely flights will be operating anytime soon today. You can barely see the sun through the haze."
Poor visibility in Jammu meant a sudden, last minute, road trip. Nothing flew in to or out from Jammu yesterday so I had to saddle up & take the road to the winter capital. pic.twitter.com/gyHVymasDY
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) November 11, 2024
The weather disruptions caused significant inconvenience for travellers, with several airlines — including SpiceJet, IndiGo, and Alliance Air — announcing cancellations and delays. Passengers were left stranded at airports in Delhi, Srinagar, and Jammu, with no clear indication of when flights would resume.
Looking at the visibility from the balcony of the official residence I don’t think flights will be operating any time soon today either. You can barely see the sun in the haze. pic.twitter.com/pOByFDsnWp
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) November 11, 2024
The Meteorological Department, which monitors visibility in the region every half hour, issued a forecast indicating that smog and haze would continue to affect the plains and border areas of Jammu and Kashmir until rainfall clears the air. Officials warned that these conditions could persist throughout Monday and into Tuesday, further complicating air travel in the region.
Fresh snowfall in Gurez
Meanwhile, in the scenic Gurez Valley of north Kashmir's Bandipora district, snowfall provided a stark contrast to the fog in the plains. A fresh blanket of snow covered the valley on Monday morning, particularly in areas like Kilshay Top, Tulail, and nearby villages. The fresh snowfall aligned with the forecast issued by the Meteorological Department, which predicted light rain and snow for various parts of Jammu and Kashmir as a result of a weak Western Disturbance.
According to the MET department, the disturbance is expected to bring more snowfall and rain to the region, with heavy snow anticipated in the higher reaches of Kashmir, including Gurez Valley. The weather system is expected to persist until the early hours of November 12.
As a result of the weather conditions, the MET department issued a weather advisory predicting heavy to very heavy snowfall over the higher reaches of the Kashmir division over the next three days. The snowfall is expected to affect areas such as Razdan Top, Sinthan Top, Peer Ki Gali, Phase 2 of Gulmarg, as well as the higher reaches of Pahalgam and Sonamarg. The Kashmir plains, including areas like Srinagar, may experience light rain showers on November 11.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has urged residents and travellers to remain alert and follow weather advisories in light of the ongoing weather disturbances.
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