At least 6 people killed in UP due to heavy rains and hailstorm, crops severely damaged

New Delhi: Intermittent unseasonal rains and hailstorm in Uttar Pradesh since Friday has led to the deaths of at least 6 people in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district and close to 80 per cent of the crops in several areas like Bulanshahr, Gorakhpur and Saharanpur have been destroyed. 

Thousands of acres of crops belonging to dozens of farmers have been destroyed due to hailstorm. Distraught villagers are demanding compensation from the administration.

Meanwhile, according to the weather agency, wet weather conditions over the national capital is likely to continue on Saturday (March 14, 2020). Since Saturday morning, Delhi-NCR has witnessed heavy rains and according to the weather department, Delhi is likely to receive hailstorm along with thunderstorms and rains all through the day.

The minimum temperature in Delhi today was recorded at 14 degrees while the maximum temperature could reach up to 27 degrees. The maximum temperature could see a drop by 1 degree Celcius since Friday.

On Saturday, Shimla, Dalhousie and higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh received fresh snowfall intensifying the cold wave conditions in the state. "Popular tourist spots Shimla, Kufri, Chail and Dalhousie received overnight snowfall, while lower hill experienced rains, plummeting the minimum and maximum temperatures by several notches," Manmohan Singh, director of the meteorological office here, told IANS.

As per IMD, a cyclonic system lies over north Pakistan and adjoining Jammu and Kashmir region which is under the influence of the Western Disturbance and it could cause heavy rains and snowfall at Jammu, Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and at isolated places over Uttar Pradesh on March 14.