Amidst a yellow alert, moderate showers continued to sweep Marathwada and Vidarbha on Saturday, with the heaviest rain registered in Yavatmal district. With unseasonal hailstorms, rains and gusty winds lashing the region for the 3-4 days, several pockets have experienced extensive crop damage.

After a week of reeling under orange and yellow warnings, the weather bureau has now extended its yellow alert in parts of Vidarbha region until Sunday, following which the rains will recede.

Data procured from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) showed that until 8.30 am on Saturday, the heaviest downpour was received in Vidarbha’s Yavatmal district where 66 mm rainfall was recorded. This was followed by Amravati where 22.6 mm rain was recorded and Nagpur, at 15.4 mm. In Marathwada, meanwhile, the maximum showers were recorded in Parbhani and Nanded districts.

Amidst reports of crop damage, senior officials said that the state government is now carrying out panchnama, an exercise undertaken to register and document crop loss due to natural calamities in every village across all talukas that have been affected by rain or hailstorm.

Mohanlal Sahu from Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Nagpur, said that while rainfall activity is slated to continue until Sunday, the warning for hail activity is no longer in place.

Sahu said, “After the first day, the hailstorm activity was recorded in scattered patterns with activity recorded in Nagpur, then Yavatmal, Washim, later in Buldhana and then in Chandrapur. However, since the atmosphere has cooled now, the warning for hailstorm has been removed.”

“Till tomorrow (Sunday), we are now expected to witness lightning and rain activity in parts of Vidarbha region, after which the rains will reduce and stop,” he added.

While both the regions had been sweltering under heatwaves in the first week of April, last week, the IMD had sounded a yellow alert in districts of Marathwada and Vidarbha, indicating the likelihood of thunderstorms coupled with hailstorms, and gusty winds.

Even as the Marathwada and Vidarbha region experienced unseasonal downpour on Saturday, other regions of Maharashtra continued to sizzle with the highest temperatures recorded at Malegaon, where the maximum temperatures soared to 41 degree Celsius.

Meanwhile, day temperatures in Mumbai’s suburbs and city division hovered around 32 degrees.

Source - https://indianexpress.com