RAWALPINDI: Farmers in the surrounding areas of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have said the latest spell of rain accompanied by winds and hailstorms spoiled their wheat crops.

The rain and hailstorm played havoc with the ready-to-harvest wheat crops in Gujar Khan, Sohawa, Jhelum and Rawat.

Wheat harvesting had started two weeks ago but the process was disrupted by intermittent rains with farmers trying to cut, thrash and bring the yields to their granaries. However, on Monday morning, heavy rain and hailstorms again lashed different parts of the region and continued till the afternoon.

Rainwater accumulated in the fields due to which the chaff and grains were likely to get spoiled, said Raja Mohammad Afzal of Negail.

Dora Budhaal village, Mohreeh Rajgan, Dhoke Amb, Guliana Mor, Dulmi and Mandra villages were also hit by hailstorms.

The uncertain weather conditions have rendered farmers helpless and they see rains during the harvest not less than a calamity, said Lumbardar Athar of Dora Budhaal.

The wheat crop was ready for harvest and the strong wind and showers spoiled it,” said Mohammad Akhtar, a landowner in Rawat.

On the other hand, the rain followed by cool winds brought down the temperature in the twin cities.

“The temperature will remain down in the next 24 hours,” said an official at the Met Office. The rain brought down the maximum temperature from 29 to 26 degrees Celsius in the capital and 29 to 27 degrees in Rawalpindi. The Meteorological Department recorded 2mm of rain at Zero Point, 3mm at Airport and 1mm each at Bokra and Golra in Islamabad; 3mm at Kutchery and 2mm at Shamsabad and Chaklala in Rawalpindi. It also recorded winds with the speed of 40km per hour.

The official said a strong westerly wave was affecting upper parts of the country and likely to persist during next 24 to 36 hours. He said that dry weather with gusty winds was likely in most parts of the country. More rain-windstorm/thunderstorm (with isolated hailstorm) is expected at isolated places in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, upper Punjab, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.

He said isolated/moderate to heavy rainfall may generate flash floods in nullahs/streams of Dir, Swat, Chitral, Mansehra, Kohistan and Kashmir. Heavy fall may cause landslides in upper KP, Murree, Galiyat, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The official said that in May normal to slightly above normal precipitation was likely over most parts of the country. Almost normal rainfall is likely over most parts of the country in June, he added.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2024