Rain, hailstorms in parts of eastern, central Maharashtra

Unseasonal rains lashed parts of eastern Maharashtra on Wednesday and Thursday while hailstorms were also witnessed in Nanded and Nagpur districts, the India Meteorological Department said.

Cool breeze and excess moisture led to this sudden change in weather, an IMD official said on Thursday.

Some parts of Vidarbha and Marathwada are likely to receive showers on Friday and Saturday too, he said.

The showers could affect crops such as cotton and tur.

Mahur in Nanded district had a heavy hailstorm on Wednesday afternoon.

The Nagpur city and neighbouring areas also reported heavy showers and hailstorms in the last two days.

K S Hosalikar, deputy director general of IMD, Mumbai, said that "interaction between mid level westerly trough and lower levels of easterly trough would cause thunderstorm and lightening over Vidarbha, Jharkhand and Telangana till Friday morning".