Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who was returning from Haldwani to Dehradun, diverted his helicopter to hailstorm-hit Bazpur to assess crop damage after the sudden change in weather caused destruction. A heavy spell of rain, followed by a powerful hailstorm, rocked Haridwar on Friday (Oct 9), damaging cars, bikes, and houses across the city and its surrounding areas.
“Today, severe hailstorms have struck Haridwar and many other parts of the state. The day started off with light rain, but the weather deteriorated rapidly, and hailstones, almost the size of a fist, forced people to take cover to avoid injuries. Videos widely circulating on social media showed people assessing their damaged vehicles in the aftermath of the tumultuous weather. “The sheer size of these hailstones is alarming. Such hailstorms are generally not observed here. The Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for heavy rain at some places in Dehradun, Nainital and Pithoragarh districts. Temperatures have fallen, making mornings and evenings noticeably cooler. Similar weather is likely to continue for two more days
Weather can turn dangerous in minutes,” said one user, while another added: “One of the craziest hailstorms observed today between Roorkee and Haridwar. Ordinary people are bearing the brunt of the adverse effects of climate change,” said Rawat.
