The latest severe hailstorm struck the Kotkhai area a few days ago, with local residents claiming that the storm persisted for nearly two hours, which is an exceptionally long duration for such a weather event.
“We have never seen a hailstorm last so long in our lifetime. It would stop for a while and then start again,” said Shiv Pratap Bhimta, a resident of Kotkhai.
Meteorological experts have described the reported duration as highly unusual. Shobhit Katiyar, Director of the Meteorological Centre in Shimla, said hailstorms typically last between five and 10 minutes at a particular location.
“If the hailstorm lasted close to two hours, as residents claim, it would be a highly abnormal weather phenomenon. It would suggest that the cloud system remained stationary over the area. We will examine satellite imagery to determine what exactly happened,” Katiyar said.
He added that the volume of hail visible in photographs and videos from the affected area appeared too substantial to have accumulated within the normal five-to-10-minute timeframe.
“Typically, hail does not accumulate in multiple layers, but the videos appeared to show several layers of hail deposition,” he said.
While the Meteorological Department does not maintain detailed records of hailstorms because they are considered highly localised events, residents across the district believe hailstorms have become more frequent, severe and geographically widespread in recent years.
Apple growers have borne the brunt of the changing weather conditions. Many orchardists attribute the increasing intensity of hailstorms to broader climatic shifts and declining winter snowfall.
“It is certainly linked to changing weather patterns. Our experience has been that when winter snowfall is deficient, the likelihood of severe hailstorms increases significantly. Snowfall has become increasingly scarce over the last few years, and that appears to be one of the reasons for the rise in hail activity,” Bhimta said.
Growers also point out that hailstorms are no longer confined to traditionally vulnerable high-altitude regions. Areas at lower elevations, which historically experienced little or no hail damage, are now being affected with increasing regularity.
Meteorologists explain that hailstorms are common during the pre-monsoon period, which extends from April to mid-June.
“Hail develops due to intense atmospheric convection during this season. Whenever strong convective activity occurs over an area, the possibility of hail formation increases considerably,” Katiyar said.
The repeated hailstorms this season have inflicted heavy losses on apple orchards across the district. Ironically, many growers who installed anti-hail nets to protect their crops have suffered greater damage.
According to orchardists, anti-hail nets are designed to withstand short-duration hail events lasting a few minutes. However, prolonged hailstorms have torn nets, damaged bamboo support structures and broken tree branches under the weight of accumulated hail.
In orchards without protective netting, the impact has been equally devastating. Long and intense hailstorms have stripped trees of both fruit and foliage, leaving many growers fearing long-term losses.