Various areas of Narsingdi district witnessed heavy hailstorm with gusty wind on Tuesday evening. This untimely hailstorm and rain caused serious damage to the winter crops.

The locals said they never experienced hailstorm at this time of the year. In several areas, including the crop fields, ice accumulated up to a foot deep.

Md Azizur Rahman, Deputy Director of Narsingdi Department of Agricultural Extension, confirmed the matter on Wednesday.

There was hailstorm with gusty wind in various areas of the district including Karimpur and Nazarpur area of Narsingdi sadar upazila and Char Araliya area of Raipura upazila on Tuesday evening.

The locals and eyewitnesses said dark clouds suddenly appeared in the sky during the evening. Within moments, it turned into a hailstorm. At one point, hailstones ranging from 1 to 3 inches in size began falling from the sky. This caused significant damage to the crops in various fields and the tin roofs of the houses. Locals said that they had never witnessed such hailstorms in Narsingdi at this time of the year before.

Farid Mia, a farmer from Raipura upazila, said he never saw such heavy hailstorm at this time of the year before. The sky became dark on Tuesday evening and thunders could be heard. At one paint, rain along with hailstorm started. The rain and the hailstorm continued for one hour. Various areas, including the yards of the houses and the crop lands, were covered with ice the way snowfall covers lands. Houses and other structures were damaged as a result. More than that, there might be an extensive damage to the crops due to the untimely rain and hailstorm.

Deputy Director of Narsingdi Department of Agricultural Extension, Md Azizur Rahman, said I have heard about the hailstorm from local farmers of Narsingdi sadar and Raypura upazila. I heard the crops were damaged. But we could not learn the extent of the damage.  Today (Wednesday), we will take necessary measures, as well as assess the extent of damage along with the local Agriculture Officers and people concerned.

Source - https://bangladeshpost.net