Hot weather conditions prevailed in Kashmir valley on Monday with summer capital Srinagar recording the hottest day of the season at 35.3°C, said India meteorological department even as rain is expected from Wednesday.Labourers from the Jammu and Kashmir Lakes and Waterways Development Authority remove weeds from the waters of Dal Lake on a summer hot day, in Srinagar on Monday. (Basit Zargar)The meteorological centre in Srinagar recorded a maximum of 35.3°C in the city, 5.3°C above normal, highest temperature of the season so far.“At 35.3 degrees, this was the hottest day so far this summer in Srinagar. The hot temperatures will sustain tomorrow as well but will come down from Wednesday,” said MeT director Mukhtar Ahmad.“Monsoon is approaching,” he said.Qazigund recorded 33.8 degrees Celsius, 5 degrees above normal; Kupwara 32.7 degrees Celsius, 2.7 degrees Celsius above normal; Pahalgam 29 degrees Celsius, 3.6 degrees above normal; and Gulmarg 26.2 degrees Celsius, 5.2 degrees Celsius above normal.Independent weather spotter Faizan Arif said that heatwave conditions may persist in Kashmir tomorrow (30 June) as well. “Last year, the maximum temperature in Srinagar touched 35.5°C,” he said.“Across the Kashmir region, daytime temperatures are expected to remain 4°C to 8°C above normal, resulting in heatwave conditions over many areas,” he said.Arif said that no significant rise in temperatures is expected over most parts of Jammu region, where monsoon-like conditions continue. “As a result, short occasional showers are possible in some parts of Jammu during the next 48 hours,” he said.“Improvement in temperatures is expected from Wednesday, with further relief from Thursday onwards as a Western Disturbance is set to come to the rescue,” he said.Meanwhile, the MeT, in an update said that from July 1 to 5,the UT was expected to receive rain.“From July 1 to 5, fresh spells of light to moderate rain and thunderstorms are expected at many places with heavy rainfall and brief intense heavy showers and gusty winds at few places during 2-3rd July,” the update said.“There is a possibility that heavy rainfall may generate flashfloods & landslides/mudslides at few places of Jammu division,” it said.Vehicles stranded as heavy rains trigger mudslide on Mughal roadJammu Hundreds of vehicles were stranded after heavy rains triggered a mudslide on the Mughal Road, disrupting traffic on the key route connecting the districts of Rajouri and Poonch with the Kashmir valley, officials said.The mudslide, triggered by continuous heavy rainfall, blocked a stretch of over half a kilometre of road near Pir Ki Gali, bringing traffic to a halt, they said.As a result, hundreds of vehicles, including passenger cars and goods carriers, remained stranded on both sides of the affected stretch, they said.Officials said road clearance teams and machinery have been pressed into service to remove the debris and restore traffic. They advised commuters to avoid unnecessary travel on the route until the road is cleared and weather conditions improve.(With PTI inputs)