Chapainawabganj district was hit by a hailstorm at the very start of the season. Mango growers are the most worried by the sudden disaster, as gusty winds and hailstones have raised fears of damage to mangoes and other crops.

The weather changed suddenly at around 3:30pm on Tuesday, 7 April, followed by rain with hail that lasted more than an hour. The hail was most intense in Shibganj upazila, which has the most mango orchards in the district, deepening farmers' concern.

Local sources said the sky was clear in the morning, but clouds gradually gathered after midday and had become thick by the afternoon. Gusty winds blew for a while before the hail began, and hail fell for about 15 minutes from the start of the rain.

Local resident Aminur Rahman Sujan said dark clouds had begun to gather after midday and hail started suddenly at around 3:30pm. The mangoes in his orchard are still small, he said, and hail at this time risks heavy damage, with many fruits likely to be lost.

Rafiqul Islam of Shyampur union said mangoes had begun to form from the blossom only a few days earlier, and hail at this stage causes serious damage. Most of the mangoes in his orchard had already dropped, he said, and the rest on the trees may fall too.

Shibganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Nayan Mia confirmed the hailstorm. He said hail fell in several unions of the upazila and the hailstones were quite large. A list is being prepared to determine the extent of the damage.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.