Hingoli: Unseasonal rains and hailstorms damage crops and uproot trees

Around 2:30 pm on Tuesday, unseasonal rains and hailstorms hit several parts of the district, causing damage to summer crops like turmeric and banana. The storm was powerful enough to uproot old trees in many places.

The Meteorological Department had issued a forecast about thunderstorms occurring between April 25 and 27. As predicted, unseasonal rains hit several areas in the district on April 25 at around 2:30 pm, including Dongarkada, Waranga, Basmath, Kurunda, Kautha, Girgaum in Kalamnuri taluka, and Shirad Shahpur in Aundh taluka.

Gusty winds caused significant damage to banana trees in various areas of Kalmanuri taluka, including Dongarkada, Digras (Budruk), Salapur, Sukli, Gundalwadi, Dandegaon, Redgaon, Vadgaon, and Kalla. The farmers are in shock due to the losses incurred, which run into lakhs of rupees. Additionally, the hailstorm caused tears in the banana leaves, leading to a decrease in the fruit's quality.

In the afternoon, farmers left the turmeric to dry, but unseasonal rains arrived and soaked the crop. Strong winds and rain caused old peepal trees to be uprooted at Kautha. Dongarkada in Kalmanuri taluka experienced 10 minutes of rain, causing significant damage to bananas in the hills, near Panchal, Girgaum, and other areas. The sky had been cloudy since 1:30 pm on Tuesday.