Guwahati/Cherrapunji/Silchar: A sudden hailstorm lashed parts of Meghalaya while rain affected lower Assam on Wednesday, raising concerns about damage to mature paddy crops.From Shillong to Sohra, also known as Cherrapunji, the hailstorm covered several areas in a layer of ice. In Assam, hail and rain were reported in districts including Kamrup, damaging paddy crops that were being harvested or were nearing harvest.A 19-year-old youth, Atabul Islam, was killed by lightning while fishing in Brahmaputra river in Goalpara district on Wednesday.Thangjalal Lhouvum, Scientist-D at the IMD in Shillong, said hailstorms in Nov, a post-monsoon month, were not unusual. “It happens due to the local convection system,” he said.Officials of the Meghalaya state disaster management authority said no hailstorm-related damage had been reported from any district. Residents and visitors in Shillong witnessed an intense spell of hail, with roads and rooftops covered in ice.“A rhythmic percussion drummed fiercely against tin rooftops, giving way to an astonishing quiet as the city vanished beneath a gleaming white carpet. Pine boughs bowed gracefully under the frosty weight, while winding roads, stone walls and quaint hillside cottages were transformed into an ethereal alpine sanctuary,” said Dhira Bhowmick, associate professor and head of the department of English at Shillong College.She said the weather brought “the sharp scent of damp earth and crushed needles”, adding that it felt as though winter had arrived all at once.Sohra witnessed a brief spell of hail in the afternoon. The town is widely known for its heavy rainfall. The owner of the Golden Spoon Dhaba in Sohra, Yaree Kharkongor, said tourist footfall generally declined after the monsoon season ended in September.“Comparatively, it rains less in Nov as the monsoon period ends in September. Therefore, tourist footfall also declines during the post-monsoon period. But it still rains. In the last one or two weeks, there was no such rainfall. Whatever minimum tourist footfall was recorded, nobody had a chance to experience the chilled weather of Sohra,” the owner said.In Assam, a severe hailstorm affected Haflong, the headquarters of Dima Hasao district, and adjoining areas on Wednesday afternoon. Several houses and vehicles were damaged, and traffic was disrupted after thick layers of hail accumulated on roads.The storm, accompanied by large hailstones, damaged tin roofs and shattered the windscreens and windows of vehicles parked in the open.According to local sources, the hailstorm was particularly intense in Haflong town and its suburban areas, where roads, rooftops and open spaces were quickly covered with hail, creating hazardous conditions for motorists and pedestrians.
