PESHAWAR, April 2: The city received rain and in some parts of the province hailstorm on Wednesday morning.

According to Met office, the city received 3.8mm rain and minimum temperature was 17.5°C on Wednesday. The rains in the last few weeks have prolonged the winter season in the province. Officials in the Met office said it might be the last rainfall of the season.

“The rainfall and hailstorm has caused much damage to the orchards and wheat crop in the agricultural areas of the NWFP,” an agriculturist at Tarnab farm, Mr Jamsher Khan, told Dawn.

The rains had badly affected the orchards which are in floral stage these days. Torrential rains have damaged not only small plants but flowers of the citrus fruit, plum, apple and other fruit had dropped before maturity.

“The increased flower drop of citrus fruit because of the untimely heavy rains will badly affect the growth of the fruit,” Mr Khan said.

In hilly areas like Swat, Parachinar, Murree, Dir and Wana, the effects of the rain would be worst as the fruit trees there are also in floral stage. Hails in some of the areas had badly damaged the crops and plants.

“Wheat crop, which was expected to be ripe by the end of April in some areas, was still unripe because of the rains in the last few weeks and definitely it will reduce the amount of wheat this year,” Mr Khan observed.

The crops were damaged by the recent rains. It has hampered the fertilisation of the seeds of the crops. Recent rains caused rotting, rust, fungi and other diseases of crops. Rains have even caused rotting in fodder.