Hailstorm batters parts of Shimla district, damages crops
Shimla/Dharamshala, A heavy spell of hailstorm battered crops in the upper regions of Shimla district on Saturday.
Kotgarh, Fagu, Theog and Kufri, alongside other regions in Shimla district witnessed heavy hail that damaged apples and stone fruits such as cherries and vegetables like peas and cauliflower.
The hailstorm was so strong that even anti-hail nets and bamboos installed to support the nets were also damaged.
The local Met office had earlier issued an 'orange' warning for hailstorm in isolated places of Himachal Pradesh till Sunday even as parts of the state received rain on Saturday.
Joginder Singh, an orchardist from Theog, said growers were worried as there was a forecast of heavy hailstorms in the district for Sunday as well.
The Met office has also issued a 'yellow' warning for thunderstorms, lightning and winds reaching speeds of 30-50 kilometres per hour till May 9 in Sirmaur, Shimla, Mandi, Kullu, Kangra and Chamba districts.
Bilapsur, Reckong Peo, Hamirpur and Tabo witnessed gusty winds during the 24 hours ended at 5 pm.
Dehra Gopipur was the wettest place in Himachal Pradesh during the 24 hours ended at 5 pm, recording 37.2 mm of rainfall, followed by Kufri , Poanta Sahib , Shimla , Kandaghat , Jubbarhatti , Dharamshala and Manali Barrage and Solan .
There was no significant change in minimum temperatures. Kukumseri in Lahaul and Spiti district was the coldest, recording a night temperature of 5.9 degrees Celsius.
Maximum temperatures fell appreciably. Una recorded the highest day temperature at 33.5 degrees Celsius.
The Met office has predicted light to moderate rain in many parts of the state till May 5 and some parts of the low, mid and high hills from May 6-9.
Dharamshala and its surrounding areas, which have been experiencing cold and wet weather in recent days, is forecast to witness thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds, casting a shadow over upcoming Indian Premier League matches at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.
The stadium is scheduled to host three Punjab Kings matches against the Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday, Delhi Capitals on May 8, and the Mumbai Indians on May 11.
HPCA officials had offered a special prayer at the temple of the rain god Indru Nag Dev to prevent interruptions during IPL matches.
The stadium has a new sub-air system that can dry the ground in 15-20 minutes after rain, allowing play to resume quickly, HPCA official Sanjay Sharma said.
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