• Bandipora bears brunt as hail, gusty winds damage orchards and standing crops; rain forecast
• Paddy harvest and apple season add to growers’ concerns as weather remains unsettled
Srinagar |Oct, 8:A sudden and intense hailstorm swept across parts of Kashmir on Thursday evening, damaging standing crops and apple orchards and triggering concern among farmers at a crucial stage of the harvest season, with Bandipora reporting the most severe impact.
The storm, accompanied by strong winds and rain, struck several areas of north and central Kashmir, leaving roads and fields covered with hailstones within minutes. Traffic movement was also affected in some areas during the spell.
Bandipora emerged as the worst-hit district, with residents reporting heavy hail that battered orchards and agricultural fields.“It was terrible. The hailstones came down heavily and within minutes the ground was covered with hail,” said Sahil Hameed Khan, a resident of Bandipora.
For farmers, the timing of the storm has added to concerns. Paddy harvesting is under way across several parts of Kashmir, while apple growers are in the middle of the peak harvest and dispatch season.
Heavy hail and gusty winds were also reported from parts of Ganderbal, Sopore, PattanBaramulla and Kupwara. In Kupwara, residents reported damage to paddy fields and apple orchards, while crop damage was also reported from parts of Ganderbal.
The immediate extent of losses, however, remained unclear. No official district-wise assessment of damage was available by Thursday evening, and field-level assessments are expected to provide a clearer picture of the impact on crops and orchards.
The hailstorm came as the Meteorological Centre forecast another spell of unsettled weather across Jammu and Kashmir.
The weather office said light rain could occur at scattered places over the next two days, with light snowfall possible over higher reaches.
Weather is expected to remain partly to generally cloudy on October 9 and 10, while generally dry conditions are likely on October 11 and 12. A brief spell of light rain is possible at a few places towards the evening of October 9.
Another spell of rain is likely towards the evening or night of October 13, followed by the possibility of generally cloudy weather, light rain, light snowfall over higher reaches, thunderstorms and gusty winds at many places on October 14 and 15.
The Meteorological Centre has advised farmers to continue harvesting and ensure safe storage of harvested apples and paddy in view of the changing weather conditions.
The weather fluctuations came against the backdrop of above-normal temperatures in parts of the Valley.Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 28.2°C on Thursday, around four degrees above normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 10.9°C, 3.4 degrees above normal.
Jammu recorded a maximum of 31.5°C and a minimum of 20°C. Pahalgam recorded a maximum of 23.6°C and a minimum of 6°C, while Gulmarg recorded a maximum of 19°C and a minimum of 6°C.
