Shimla – Amid an orange alert issued by the Meteorological Department, heavy rain, thunderstorms, and hailstorms wreaked havoc across Himachal Pradesh over the weekend, causing widespread destruction in multiple districts. A 65-year-old man tragically died while trying to save his flock of sheep and goats from a surging drain in Chamba’s Chelli village on Saturday night. More than 100 animals were washed away in the incident.
The intense spell of weather — triggered by a Western Disturbance — continued into Sunday, bringing darkness as early as 2 PM in Shimla, where torrential rain lashed the city. Similar conditions were reported from Kangra, Sundarnagar, Palampur, Baijnath, and Jubbarhatti. In the higher reaches of Lahaul Valley, snowfall accompanied the rain, adding to the cold wave gripping the region.
The storm has left a trail of agricultural devastation. Hailstorms in Kotgarh, Kufri, Rohru, and Kumarsain damaged apple orchards and stone fruit crops for the second consecutive day. In Theog and Rampur, fruit growers reported near-total damage to their standing crops. Meanwhile, light hail along with rain was recorded in Solan. The Horticulture Department has estimated that nearly 20% of fruits, including mangoes, have been damaged — resulting in losses amounting to ₹60 lakh.
Rain and hail have also severely impacted wheat harvesting, especially in the mid and upper hill regions. While farmers growing tomatoes, capsicum, and cabbage termed the rainfall as “timely,” orchardists and grain growers expressed anguish over the scale of destruction.
Temperature levels have dropped sharply across the state. Manali recorded a maximum of 6.5°C and Dharamsala plunged to just 4.0°C — unusual for early May. The sharp fall in mercury brought temporary relief from the heat in Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, and other lower hill areas, but has raised concerns about delayed recovery for damaged crops.
The Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority has urged residents to exercise caution, warning that thunderstorms, lightning, strong winds, and hail may continue to affect the state till May 8. The districts expected to remain at risk include Shimla, Solan, Mandi, Sirmaur, Kangra, Chamba, Kullu, Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, and Kinnaur.
