Unseasonal rain and hailstorms across Uttar Pradesh caused widespread damage to crops in Bundelkhand and claimed three lives in Kanpur and two in Kasganj. However, the downpour brought relief from rising temperatures in Lucknow, officials said on Saturday.
After a day of bright sunshine, the weather took a sudden U-turn in the state capital on Saturday evening. The maximum temperature settled at 35.6°C before a strong system, accompanied by gusty winds of up to 39 kmph, lightning and rain, swept across the city around 5 pm, as predicted by the Indian meteorological department (IMD).
The sky turned overcast and rain followed across most parts of Lucknow, disrupting weekend plans for many residents. the state capital saw 16mm rainfall between 5 pm and 8 pm, said Mohd Danish, senior scientist at Lucknow met office
The forecast for Sunday is partly cloudy sky, with maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 33°C and 20°C, respectively.
Fresh blow to farmers
Hailstorms lashed Kanpur and several districts in the Bundelkhand region on Saturday evening, dealing a fresh blow to farmers already reeling under unseasonal rains. In parts of Jalaun, this was the third such event in quick succession, coinciding with the harvest period.
The storm hit around 4:30pm, bringing strong winds, rain and hail. In Kanpur, wind speeds reached 37.8 kmph, with 21.4 mm rainfall recorded. Fallen trees brought down electricity poles in several areas, disrupting power supply.
In Jalaun’s Orai, Madhaugarh, Rampura and Kuthaund, hail blanketed fields, while Jhansi recorded 6.3 mm rainfall.
Severe impact on crops
The impact on wheat was severe, with strong winds flattening standing crops and affecting grain quality ahead of harvest. Cut crops lying in fields were soaked, raising the risk of blackening and grain shedding.
Vegetable crops such as ladyfinger, ridge gourd, bottle gourd, maize, pumpkin, cucumber and tomato were extensively damaged. With three hailstorms in quick succession, farmers fear losses of up to 50%.
Farmers across affected areas demanded a survey and compensation. Rajendra Singh and Uday Singh from Kalpi in Jalaun said harvesting had just begun when the weather turned. Ram Kishan Nishad of Akbarpur in Kanpur Dehat said a year’s effort was on the verge of being lost.
SN Sunil Pandey, a weather scientist at CS Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, said a western disturbance had shifted from western to central Uttar Pradesh. Weather conditions are likely to remain unsettled through April, with another system expected around April 6, he added.
Rainfall data, forecast
According to the Lucknow meteorological centre, western Uttar Pradesh received more rainfall than eastern parts. Moradabad recorded 19 mm rainfall, Aligarh 13.6 mm, Hathras 10.2 mm, Kasganj 10 mm and Agra 9.4 mm.
The current spell is attributed to the combined effect of an active western disturbance over central Pakistan and a cyclonic circulation over Punjab. The intensity of rainfall is expected to decline after the next 24 hours, from the afternoon of April 5.
However, another spell of rain is likely between April 7 and 9, which may keep temperatures fluctuating. The meteorological department has issued a warning of thunderstorms, lightning, gusty winds and isolated hailstorms across parts of the state.
Siblings killed in Kasganj,
three dead in Kanpur
Meanwhile, a sibling duo was killed in Kasganj while three people died in Kanpur in rain-related incidents. The siblings died when a tree fell on their motorcycle due to strong winds late on Friday night. The incident occurred near Navada area under Ganjdundwara Kotwali police station limits, Kasganj additional superintendent of police Sushil Kumar confirmed.
The deceased were identified as Sanju, 22 and his sister, Aarti, 18. The two, along with Shiv Sagar, 24, and Sandhya, 12, were traveling on the same motorcycle. Sanju and Aarti died on the spot, while Shiv Sagar and Sandhya were injured.
In Kanpur, 62-year-old Jamna Devi of Nawabganj died while her 32-year-old daughter, Jyotsna, who is a farm manager at CSA University, was injured when a banyan tree fell on an auto-rickshaw they were travelling in during rains and strong winds. The incident occurred in Kakadeo around 5:30 pm. Auto driver Sonu, 34, also died in the incident, Kanpur police said.
Besides, an unidentified man aged around 24 years was run over by a truck after his motorcycle skidded on the wet road in Gujaini area.
Across the Braj region, including Mathura and parts of Agra, weather conditions changed abruptly on Friday night, with strong winds, rain and hailstorms reported in several areas. The sudden change caused extensive damage to standing crops and produce stored in the open.
Mathura district magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh said widespread rainfall had caused crop losses and urged farmers to report damage within 72 hours through the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana app or toll-free number 14447. More than 10,000 applications have already been received, he said.
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