MIRPUR: With the much-awaited rains in plains and snowfall on upper reaches, the dry spell that persisted in Azad Jammu and Kashmir for over past several months ended since Saturday night as the States’ top mountainous Neelam valley received its first snowfall in several of its areas.

Mercury fell to a greater extent turning the weather chilled in the top mountainous scenic Neelam valley of AJK that received the heaviest snowfall since late Saturday. The inclement weather led to a dip in the day’s temperature. However, the night temperature improved to intolerable chillness in the upper reaches of the liberated territory.

The persistent long dryness for the past several month caused seasonal diseases including allergy, flue and fever in various parts of AJK besides reducing the water level in rivers and dams to an alarming extent because of the lack of rains in the region as well.

Various parts of Azad Jammu & Kashmir received first heaviest rainfall of the winter but of medium intensity in the plains besides the snowfall at the scenic upper reaches of the State last night of Saturday and Sunday.