Intense rain with thunder-squalls and hail damaged crops in Vidhisa district in Madhya Pradesh last Saturday, 16th of March. Farmers in the district in some cases lost their entire gram crops as they were uprooted and taken away by thunder-squalls. Lemon size hail (Ice platelets) broke the wheat stems and wheat had fallen to the ground in a matter of two hours. According to villagers at least 70 percent of the crops of wheat and gram were lost in the district.
During this time of the year, central India heats up more due to which convective clouds form at around 3000 feet in the atmosphere. Mahesh Palawat, of Skymet weather explains that sometimes these clouds expand up to 50-55 thousand feet above. In such circumstances with the height, temperatures fall and super cooled droplets turn into ice platelets. The numbers of ice platelets keep increasing, as temperatures remain sub-zero at that height and above. Due to prevailing low temperature and high humidity level they do not melt fast enough even post precipitation as in the case of Vidisha where farmers observed lemon size ice platelets that did not melt even hours after the rain.
Gyaraspur, Nateran, Kagpur, Devkhajuri, Detakheri, Kothichar Kala, Khiria, Sankalkhera Khurd, Namakheri Kolta and Baikhedi areas were most affected by heavy rain, thunder-squalls and hailstorms. The clouds were part of the cyclonic circulation that prevailed here on Friday and Saturday in these parts.
Photograph by Juliancolton
