Rain, hailstorm likely in parts of Marathwada

AURANGABAD: Isolated areas in many parts of Marathwada are likely to witness unseasonal rain accompanied by gusty wind and hailstorm in the next 24 hours, a weather advisory issued by the Parbhani-based Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Agricultural University has said.
Barring Aurangabad and Jalna, the remaining six districts — Beed, Osmanabad, Latur, Parbhani, Hingoli and Nanded — are likely to face adverse weather conditions, it said.
The forecast, if comes true, will add to the worries of the farming community, which is already bearing the brunt of the lockdown.
Farmer activist Jayaji Suryawanshi said the crops harvested during the recentl Rabi season have been stored with farmers due to the lockdown. “Despite assurance from the government, the market conditions are still grim and farmers have stocked their produce, anticipating poor prices for their harvested crops. Such crops could get exposed to the rain due to the adverse weather conditions,” he said.
Soybean, sorghum, maize, chickpea and cotton are some of the crops cultivated in Marathwada during the Rabi season and are stored with many farmers in make-shift arrangements during the lockdown.
The adverse weather condition could also harm mango cultivation in Marathwada as certain belt from the region is traditionally known as grower of Kesar mangoes among other varieties. Many raw mangoes on trees fell due to the gusty winds, causing losses to farmers.
As per the IMD, the temperatures have slightly gone down in Aurangabad city due to partly cloudy skies observed intermittently.
According to official data, the city reported a maximum of 38.4 degrees celsius and minimum of 24.7 degrees on Monday. While the maximum temperature was below normal range by one unit, the minimum above normal by one unit.