A sudden change in weather, triggered by a Western Disturbance, wreaked havoc across several districts of Madhya Pradesh. Gwalior city and its surrounding areas experienced heavy rains followed by two rounds of hailstorms, with hailstones as large as lemons falling. The India Meteorological Department reported hailstones measuring approximately 2.5 cm in diameter, breaking a 50-year weather record in the region.
The severe weather led to injuries in Gwalior, where six people, including two women, were hurt due to the storm. A private hospital wall collapsed, and numerous vehicles were damaged. Roads in the city were covered in a thick white sheet, resembling a snow-covered landscape. Other districts like Bhind, Betul, Morena, and Barwani also faced unseasonal weather conditions, causing damage to crops and threatening agricultural livelihoods.
Farmers reported extensive destruction of standing wheat, gram, and other crops in various regions. The unexpected hailstorms and storms turned fields, courtyards, and roads into a white blanket, leaving the agrarian community devastated. The Meteorological Department in Bhopal attributed the abrupt weather change to a Western Disturbance, issuing warnings of continued thunderstorms, lightning, and hail with strong winds in several areas.
Despite the relief from summer heat welcomed by the general public, concerns loom over significant losses to the rabi crop. Farmers are assessing the damage as authorities closely monitor the situation to determine the full extent of the impact.
