Hailstorm turns Shillong white; IMD warns of more storms in Meghalaya

An unseasonal hailstorm swept across Shillong on Wednesday, November 11, coating roads, playgrounds and rooftops in a layer of white ice and briefly giving Meghalaya's capital the look of a snow-bound hill town.

The storm rolled in at around 11 am with heavy rain and lasted for close to an hour, according to The Sentinel, Northeast Live and India Today NE. Hailstones, described by The Sentinel as about the size of marbles, piled up along roadsides, on vehicles and on tin roofs in several localities.

Slippery roads and waterlogging

Commuters in areas such as Mawlai, Mawiong and Umrynjah had to pull over as roads turned slippery, The Sentinel reported. Northeast Live said the downpour also caused waterlogging in several parts of the city, with some stretches under knee-deep water, a recurring problem for pedestrians and drivers in Shillong whenever heavy rain hits.

Many residents and tourists filmed the scenes on their phones, and social media posts compared the city to Kashmir in winter. Temperatures dropped noticeably after the storm.

Worry for farmers

The spectacle was less welcome in the villages around the capital. The Sentinel reported that the hail flattened stretches of mature paddy in parts of East Khasi Hills and Eastern West Khasi Hills, with the crop only days away from harvest. Farmers it spoke to described it as the loss of a whole season's work and urged the state government to treat the damage as a natural calamity and provide relief. There has been no official estimate of crop losses yet.

More storms likely

India Meteorological Department data cited by Northeast Live showed Shillong had recorded 2.6 mm of rain in the 24 hours to 8:30 am, before the storm, with the highest reading, 19.5 mm, at Khatarshnong-Laitkroh in East Khasi Hills, followed by Mawkyrwat (5 mm) and Nongstoin (2.5 mm).

The IMD has warned of thunderstorms with lightning, light to moderate rain, gusty winds and hail at isolated places over the next 24 hours in East Khasi Hills, Eastern West Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, Ri-Bhoi and West Jaintia Hills districts. Shillong, Mairang, Umiam, Umroi and Nongstoin are among the places named in the alert.

Residents are advised to avoid travel during storms, stay away from trees and open fields when there is lightning, and drive carefully on wet hill roads. NEInsider will update this story if the state government announces a crop damage assessment or relief.