Severe hailstorm damages crops, orchards in parts of Kashmir

SRINAGAR — A severe hailstorm lashed parts of Kashmir on Thursday evening, damaging standing crops and orchards and disrupting normal life for some time, residents said.

Bandipora district in north Kashmir was among the worst-affected areas, according to the news agency KNO.

Residents described the intensity of the hailstorm as unusually severe, with hailstones covering the ground within minutes in some areas.

“It was terrible. The hailstones came down heavily and within minutes the ground was covered with hail,” said Fayaz Ahmad, a resident of Bandipora.

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“Several areas witnessed heavy hail accompanied by gusty winds, causing concern among farmers, particularly those dependent on standing crops and fruit orchards,” he added.

Traffic movement was also affected during the hailstorm, residents said.

Heavy hail and strong winds were also reported from parts of Ganderbal, Baramulla and Kupwara districts.

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In Kupwara, severe hail and heavy rain were reported to have affected paddy fields and apple orchards, while crop damage was also reported from some areas of Ganderbal.

Rainfall was reported from several other parts of Jammu and Kashmir, while cloudy conditions prevailed over most areas.

The overall extent of damage to crops and orchards in Bandipora, Kupwara and Ganderbal has not yet been officially assessed, and no district-wise loss estimates were immediately available.