Heavy rains, hailstorms and strong winds in North India over the next few days: Met department

NEW DELHI: The weather office has predicted heavy rains, hailstorms and strong winds in North India over the next few days. The bad weather could destroy crops and farmers should quickly harvest mature crops, use nets to shield orchards and keep animals indoors to minimize damage, it said.

Crop destruction would be a severe blow to farmers as they have already suffered due to poor monsoon rainfall in the past two years and severe damage to the intervening rabi crop last year, which perished under hailstorms and waterlogging.

A western disturbance currently lying over Afghanistan and its neighbourhood would cause rain or thunderstorm activity over Northwest India during the next three days, the India Meteorological Department said on Wednesday.

This could bring heavy snow and rains in parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during March 16-19 and strong wind and hailstorms in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan during March 17-18.

Agri-meteorologist and scientist said farmers should not irrigate land, ensure water drainage is clear and undertake harvesting at the earliest to avoid crop damage.