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Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday took cognisance of heavy rainfall and hailstorm damage across several states, directing ministry officials to conduct a comprehensive review of crop losses and coordinate with state authorities to gather ground-level information. The Agriculture Ministry, in a statement, said Chouhan has instructed officials to reach out to concerned state governments and compile damage assessments. The minister is scheduled to hold discussions with the agriculture ministers of the affected states later in the day over the extent of crop damage. Chouhan assured farmers that the Modi government stood with them in this hour of crisis. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that a fresh Western Disturbance will affect Northwest India from April 7, triggering widespread rainfall, thunderstorms and hailstorms across Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh through April 10. Thundersqualls .
At least three persons died and three others were injured as Nor'westers wreaked havoc in Odisha's Mayurbhanj and Puri districts, police said Saturday. Strong winds followed by thunderstorms lashed the Mayurbhanj district headquarters, Baripada, around 11 pm on Friday, an officer said. "Two people were killed, and three others were injured. The deceased were travelling on motorcycles when the Nor'wester hit the region. Due to the storms, they lost control of their two-wheelers and hit the roadside trees," he said. The deceased have been identified as Ramdas Hansada of Asanayoda and Nagen Murmu of Khunta area in the district. The three injured are undergoing treatment at the Baripada district headquarters. A man, identified as Jagannath Behera of Alis village under the Pipili Police Station limits in Puri, died after a coconut tree fell on him during the storms in the district on Friday night, another officer said. Several houses were damaged by strong winds in Kanas, Delanga and
A late morning light rain hit the national capital, which recorded 2.5 notches above normal minimum temperature at the outset. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert forecasting light rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds during the day in several areas. The IMD said areas such as southwest Delhi, parts of west Delhi, central Delhi, Shahdara, east Delhi, north Delhi, south Delhi and southeast Delhi are likely to witness rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, and advised residents to remain updated. It also predicted wind speeds ranging between 30 and 40 kilometres per hour. According to IMD officials, the ongoing spell of unusual weather in March is linked to a series of western disturbances affecting northwest India. These disturbances have been influencing the region since March 15 and are approaching at a lower altitude than usual, impacting weather patterns over Delhi. As a result, isolated parts of the city might experience high wind .