Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds lashed parts of Hisar, Bhiwani, Jind, Fatehabad and Sirsa districts on Sunday night and Monday morning, leaving a trail of damage to standing kharif crops, especially paddy. The unseasonal weather, coupled with hailstorms at a few places, has deepened farmers’ distress across the region.

Hisar recorded 47 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, with hail reported in Hansi and Narnaund, leading to a sharp drop in temperature and waterlogging in several low-lying areas of the town. The minimum temperature in Hisar dipped to 18.4°C, the lowest in the state on Monday.

According to weather experts, rainfall may continue in parts of Haryana on Tuesday as well. The strong winds and showers that began Sunday night have flattened large swathes of standing paddy, leaving farmers worried about harvesting delays and higher input costs.

“The strong winds and rain have badly hit the paddy crops, which are now flattened on the ground,” said Jaiveer Singh, a farmer. “Heavy rain earlier in August had already damaged our crops significantly. Now, the rains along with strong wind and hail have inflicted a heavy blow, which is unlikely to leave the crop suitable for harvesting,” he added.

Farmers from Mirzapur, Ghiray and Dhansu villages said they had already suffered losses during the earlier spell of rain, and the remaining crop has now been ruined. “Flattened paddy means we cannot use harvesters. We will have to hire labour, which will increase the harvesting cost manifold,” said another farmer.

Many farmers have urged the district administration to conduct a special damage assessment survey to gauge the extent of losses and provide immediate financial assistance. “The government should step in quickly, as the recent spell has destroyed crops that were almost ready for harvest,” the farmers said.

The rain and hail have also affected other kharif crops in patches, adding to the woes of the farming community already hit by fluctuating weather this season.

Agriculture officials said a report would be compiled after visiting affected fields. Meanwhile, light to moderate rainfall and cloudy weather are expected to persist in northwestern Haryana for another 24 hours, according to the Meteorological Department.