Jaipur, Jan 28 (IANS) Due to the impact of successive active western disturbances, several districts of Rajasthan witnessed rain and hailstorms, disrupting normal life and causing damage to crops in many areas.

Districts affected by the inclement weather on Tuesday included Jaipur, Sikar, Churu, Alwar, Khairthal-Tijara, Kota, Tonk, Dausa, Baran, Sawai Madhopur, Bhilwara, and Jhalawar.

Meteorological officials said that during the past 24 hours, light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning was recorded at isolated places in eastern Rajasthan.

The highest rainfall of 26.0 mm was reported from Manohar Thana in Jhalawar district. Moderate to dense fog was also observed at a few locations across the state, further affecting visibility.

According to the Meteorological Department, the highest maximum temperature in the state was recorded at 28.4 degrees Celsius in Dungarpur, while the lowest minimum temperature stood at 5.7 degrees Celsius in Nagaur.

Apart from hailstorms, intermittent rainfall was also reported from several other regions. While the weather activity resulted in a significant drop in daytime temperatures in urban areas, it caused extensive damage to standing crops in rural belts. Crops such as wheat, barley, gram, and mustard were adversely affected, raising serious concerns among farmers.

The Jaipur Meteorological Centre has forecast dense fog and mist across many parts of the state on January 29 and 30. A further drop in temperatures is expected following the rain and hailstorm activity, likely to intensify cold conditions in the coming days.

Rainfall recorded over the last 24 hours included 1.4 mm in Alwar, 1.8 mm in Jaipur, 2 mm in Kota, 4 mm in Karauli, and 2 mm in Dausa. The rain and hailstorms led to a sharp fall of 5 to 6 degrees Celsius in daytime temperatures in several districts.

The Meteorological Centre has also predicted that under the influence of another western disturbance, light rain accompanied by thunder is likely to occur again in parts of northern and eastern Rajasthan on January 31 and February 1.

Meanwhile, the inclement weather turned fatal in two separate lightning incidents. In Deeg district’s Sikri area, a 25-year-old married woman died after being struck by lightning while working in fields in Nakcha village, while her sister sustained injuries.

In another incident, Sohni Devi, a resident of Meda village in Shrimadhopur area of Sikar district, also lost her life after being struck by lightning. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but died on the way.

–IANS

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