Unseasonal rains to harm rabi Crops: IMD

NEW DELHI: Unseasonal rains, thunderstorms and snowfall across certain pockets in the country in the coming days due to a fresh western disturbance might cause damage to the standing rabi crops, the weather office warned on Friday.

While thunderstorms and gusty winds are expected in parts of Maharashtra in the coming days isolated scattered rainfall is also likely in the southern parts of the country, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand can expect widespread snowfall, while parts of the north east might see thunderstorms accompanied with hailstorm over the next two to three days, it said. “Thunderstorm accompanied with rain, lightning, and gusty winds with speed reaching 30-40 km per hour are likely to occur at isolated places in the district of Kolhapur,” a government official said, adding that there is a possibility of hailstorms as well.