Hailstorm in Sangli’s Miraj, Tasgaon and Kolhapur’s Shirol, Ichalkaranji; mango crops at risk

Kolhapur: Hailstorms followed by heavy rain and gusty winds hit parts of Sangli and Kolhapur districts on Sunday afternoon, bringing relief from soaring temperatures, but raising concerns about possible damage to mango crops.The sudden weather change affected areas including Tasgaon, Miraj and Sangli in Sangli district, and Shirol and Ichalkaranji in neighbouring Kolhapur district. Residents welcomed the rain and hail as it lowered temperatures that had crossed the 40°C-mark over the past two to three days.According to official data, Sangli recorded a maximum temperature of 40.6°C, while the minimum rose to 25.6°C. Evening humidity levels touched 74%. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for rain and thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 30-50 kmph till April 22.While harvesting of horticultural and rabi crops has largely concluded in Sangli district, officials expressed concern about the mango crops. "The only worry is about mangoes, especially Kesar mango grown over nearly 2,000 hectares in Sangli district, which may have suffered damage due to hailstorms and gusty winds," said district agricultural superintendent Vivek Kumbhar.In Kolhapur, authorities temporarily cut electricity supply in the city and parts of rural areas as a precautionary measure. Officials said the shutdown was to prevent damage to electrical infrastructure in case of tree falls on power lines, which could lead to longer repair times.