The ongoing hailstorm in the Kashmir valley has badly damaged the blooming stone fruit crop, while the windstorm in the Jammu region has damaged the mango orchards. J&K has been witnessing thunderstorms and gusty winds since Friday evening.

Substantial infrastructure damage has also been reported in the region. Uprooted trees at several places damaged electricity poles and wires, plunging many areas into darkness.

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The Meteorological Department has warned of “moderate rain with intense showers, accompanied by moderate to severe thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds at many places in Jammu and Kashmir over the next 6 to 8 hours”.

The White Knight Corps of the Indian Army rescued a woman and three children from the debris of a house that collapsed due to heavy rain and a severe thunderstorm at Talwara in Reasi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to arrive here on Saturday to flag off the first Vande Bharat to Kashmir, but his visit was postponed due to an adverse weather forecast.

The power supply in the Jammu region was so far not fully restored by the Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Ltd (JPDCL) after the 16 April windstorm, and the bad weather again hit the electric supply in many residential areas. The tap water supply in the city and other places was also affected.

Minister for Health, Social Welfare and Education, Sakeena Itoo, has expressed deep concern over the widespread damage caused by the hailstorm, which severely impacted orchards and farmlands in several areas of Kulgam and Shopian districts of South Kashmir.

The Minister said that this weather calamity has dealt a significant blow to thousands of orchardists and farmers, many of whom are completely relying on the upcoming harvest season for their livelihood. “Our government completely stands with the farming community in this difficult time. The loss is not just of produce, but of months of hard work and hope,” Sakeena said.

The Minister said that the administrations of affected districts have been mobilised and directed to carry out immediate ground assessments of damages caused and ensure that timely compensation is provided.

Expressing concern over the loss of crops, former J&K chief minister and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti expressed dismay on X, stating, “Yesterday’s hail-storm wreaked havoc on fruit orchards across the valley leaving farmers devastated. Horticulture is the backbone of our economy & has consistently supported the region even in the most difficult times. Urge the government to immediately deploy assessment teams to evaluate the extent of the damage & provide all possible assistance to the affected farmers.”

Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari also urged the government to conduct a thorough assessment of the damage inflicted on apple orchards. In a post on X, he said, “Reports from various parts of Shopian district indicate that intense hailstorms have caused extensive damage to the delicate apple blossoms in orchards, potentially threatening the upcoming harvest. It is also imperative that agricultural experts provide timely guidance to farmers to help mitigate the impact on the crop yield.”

Many houses in the Reasi and Rajouri districts suffered damage due to a windstorm followed by heavy rainfall.

Further reports of damage in the UT were awaited.