Hailstorm, rains, winds lash Kashmir parts

Heavy rainfall and hailstorm on Monday evening wreaked havoc with crops, apple orchards and vegetable fields in parts of the Valley.

Sources said that several residential houses, orchards and standing crop suffered extensive damage due to gusty winds followed by rains, hailstorm in parts of Baramulla, Sopore, Bandipora and several other areas including Khag and Beerwah in Budgam.

   

Sources said that various villages of Zaingeer belt of Sopore including Bomai, Janwara, Hathlangoo, Botingoo and other nearby areas were hit by strong winds and hailstorm. “Rooftops of several residential houses were also damaged by the winds,” sources said.

Farmers and residents from affected areas have appealed Jammu and Kashmir administration to depute official teams to their areas to assess the losses caused by hail and windstorms for compensation.

Summer capital Srinagar also witnessed gusty winds during the evening followed by light to moderate rainfall, MeT officials said. “Multiple thunderstorm cells developed over parts of Valley have caused this weather activity,” said a MeT statement.

As per Meteorological Department officials, moderate to heavy rainfall was witnessed in Rajouri as well.

Deputy Director MeT, Mukhtar Ahmad told Greater Kashmir that thundershowers accompanied by gusty winds were also expected on Tuesday and Wednesday evening. “This weather activity is likely to be witnessed even tomorrow evening onwards. It may even continue for next few days,” Ahmad said.

As per the MeT forecast, both the Valley and Jammu divisions were likely to witness “scattered to isolated rainfall” during next one week.

Meanwhile, the rainfall during the evening also brought down the temperatures. Srinagar which recorded 29.5 degrees Celsius maximum temperature on Monday, witnessed a considerably cooler evening.

Thunderstorm on Saturday evening had also caused damage to tin roofs, tree branches and power transmission lines in parts of the Valley especially Srinagar, Handwara and Kupwara. Earlier last week, hailstorm and heavy rainfall had caused extensive damage to orchards and other crops in Shopian and Kulgam resulting in almost 20-30 percent damage to standing crop.

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