Unseasonal rainfall, accompanied by hailstorms, has caused extensive damage to crops, including cotton, in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, according to officials. The heavy showers, coupled with gusty winds, affected areas such as Nagpur, Yavatmal, Wardha, and Amaravati districts on Saturday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had previously forecasted unseasonal rains for the region on that day.
Crops like cotton, wheat, gram, and tur (pigeon peas) suffered significant damage due to the downpour and wind, with state revenue officials slated to assess the extent of the damage. The MeT department has issued a 'yellow alert' for most parts of Vidarbha on Sunday, predicting thunderstorms and rainfall at isolated locations in the region. The forecast indicates a 51 to 75 per cent chance of rainfall in Vidarbha.