Srinagar, April 18 — A spell of rain, thunder, lightning, and hail moved through parts of the Kashmir Valley with the Meteorological Department warning of more intense weather through April 21.
According to reports, hail damaged parts of South Kashmir, particularly in Shopian, where fruit growers have suffered heavy losses.
“The hailstorm struck at a critical stage,” said an orchardist from the area. “Entire blossoms were shredded within minutes.”
The MeT forecast implies an active Western Disturbance moving across Jammu and Kashmir, likely to cause widespread rainfall in plains and snowfall over higher altitudes for the next three days.
Peak weather activity is expected between the night of April 18 and late April 19.
“A mix of heavy rain, snow, thunderstorms, and gusty winds will impact various parts of the region,” an official at the Srinagar MeT centre mentioned. “The pattern is consistent with a strong Western Disturbance.”
According to the advisory, areas along the Pir Panjal range and high-altitude zones such as Anantnag-Pahalgam, Kulgam, Sinthan Pass, Shopian, Pir Ki Gali, Sonamarg-Zojila, Bandipora-Razdan Pass, Gulmarg, and Kupwara-Sadhna Pass are expected to receive heavy precipitation.
Wind speeds may reach 40 to 50 kmph, with gusts touching 60 to 70 kmph.
Lightning and hailstorms are also likely during this period.
The MeT warned that the adverse conditions could severely affect surface transport, particularly on key routes such as the Jammu-Srinagar and Srinagar-Leh highways.