A storm and hail in Rajshahi have damaged mango, paddy, maize and other crops. Storms and hail were reported in at least four upazilas of the district on Wednesday afternoon (26 April), but the extent of the damage has not yet been assessed.

According to the weather office, a gusty wind of about 41 kilometres per hour swept Rajshahi on Wednesday.

Rajib Khan, senior observer at the Rajshahi weather office, said a storm of 41 kilometres per hour blew for two minutes, from 5:08pm to 5:10pm on Wednesday, followed by gusty wind until 5:22pm.

He said the weather office could not say whether there had been hail, but there was no further chance of storms or rain that day.

The Rajshahi agriculture department, however, says hail fell in at least four upazilas of the district, for at least 10 to 15 minutes in each, damaging crops.

The storm and rain came in spells on Wednesday afternoon, breaking trees and knocking mangoes to the ground. Boro paddy, maize and mango suffered most from the hail, and betel leaf gardens were partly damaged.

Majdar Hossain, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Rajshahi, said: "I have heard of hail in the Tanore, Durgapur, Paba and Puthia areas of Rajshahi, but I have not yet received any official information. All crops in these areas, including mango, have been damaged by the hail. Efforts are under way to assess the extent of the losses."

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