Jaipur: A sudden weather shift triggered by an active western disturbance brought unseasonal rain and hailstorms across Rajasthan Thursday, affecting several districts for the second consecutive day. While the rainfall provided relief from rising temperatures, it also damaged crops and led to a loss of life.An average drop of nearly 9°C in both maximum and minimum temperatures brought respite from the heat. The Met office in Jaipur has issued further alerts for rain and hail, with the system expected to remain active till March 20.Districts such as Sikar, Alwar and Kotputli-Behror witnessed intense showers accompanied by hail. In Sikar, small hailstones fell for nearly half a minute, while areas like Bansur and Narayanpur reported hailstorms lasting up to 20 minutes.Light to moderate rainfall was also recorded in Sri Ganganagar, Churu, Bikaner, Jalore, Barmer and Jaipur. Barmer recorded 16 mm of rainfall, followed by Alwar with 11 mm, while several other places received between 2 mm and 5 mm. Jaipur residents woke up to a pleasant morning, with the minimum temperature settling at 21.4°C. Mild showers were recorded around 5.30 am and again around 7.30 am. The maximum temperature in the city was 30.1°C, about 3.3 degrees below normal. The changing weather has adversely impacted agriculture. Crops such as cumin and psyllium husk in Jaisalmer and Barmer suffered damage, while harvested produce lying in fields was also affected.
