DHARWAD: Machapur village in Kalagatagi, Dharwad district, was transformed into a snow-like landscape on Tuesday as an intense hailstorm struck the area for over two hours. Residents stepped out to capture the unusual white carpet on their mobile phones, with the scenes reminiscent of a Himalayan valley.
While the aftermath was visually striking, farmers and nursery growers bore the brunt of the storm. A large amount of tomato crop ready for harvesting was destroyed, horticulture crops and saplings suffered severe damage, and several plant nurseries were badly affected. In addition, houses with tiled roofs incurred losses from the hail impact. “Many crops have suffered damage and losses due to the excessive hailstorm. We have informed the local agriculture department officials and shared the clippings of the weather event,” said a villager.
DR C S Patil, Director of IMD Bengaluru, said the hailstorm was caused by strong local convection. “Several factors such as wind speed and its continuity, extreme heat, and moisture contribute to such weather events. These occurrences are normal during the pre-monsoon shower period,” he explained. He added that wind discontinuity and a north-south trough over North Interior Karnataka combined with intense heat to generate deep convection, resulting in the excessive hailstorm.
A local recalled that the rains lasted for more than two hours, with hail falling continuously throughout. “The lightning activity was higher compared to other rains during the same period in previous years. We have not seen anything like this before. The roads had turned white from the hailstorm, and several houses with tiles on top have suffered damage,” the villager said.