Meghalaya hit by severe hailstorm, CM instructs authorities to assist affected residents

A severe hailstorm accompanied by strong winds and heavy rain battered several parts of Meghalaya early Sunday, leaving a trail of damage to homes, vehicles and crops and disrupting electricity supply across the state, officials said. Meteorological records showed hail was reported at isolated places in Shillong and other regions of the state during the period, underscoring the intensity of the outbreak of rough weather.

All districts were affected by the early‑morning storm, but the impact was most severe in the West Garo Hills district. Around 3 am, Tura town and neighbouring localities were pummelled by unusually large hailstones — some reported to be as large as golf balls — lasting for nearly 20 minutes. The heavy hail punctured tin roofs, damaged vehicles parked along roadsides and in open compounds, and battered crops and gardens in several villages around the town.

The storm was accompanied by strong winds and thunder that intensified the destruction in low‑lying areas, damaging vegetable gardens, ornamental nurseries and other horticultural produce across parts of the region, local reports said.

Following the storm, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma held a high‑level review meeting with senior officials to assess the damage and plan relief operations. The meeting was attended by the chief secretary , the commissioner and secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department , and deputy commissioners of the affected districts.

During the review, the Chief Minister directed officials to closely monitor the situation on the ground and ensure immediate relief and assistance reaches affected households without delay. He also instructed district administrations to take urgent steps to restore essential utilities, including electricity and water supply, at the earliest, while coordinating with local authorities to assess the full extent of damage.

Power disruptions were reported from several parts of the state, including Shillong, Nongstoin, Tura and Baghmara , following strong winds and rainfall. Power Commissioner and Secretary Sanjay Goyal said that additional manpower had been mobilised to restore electricity supply to affected areas as quickly as possible. Teams were deployed to assess damage to power infrastructure and carry out restoration work on a priority basis.

Officials so far have not reported any casualties from the storm, although assessments of property losses and agricultural damage were still ongoing as light returned to the affected areas.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued earlier forecasts of possible isolated hail events and gusty winds over parts of the northeastern region during the period, reflecting volatile weather patterns over the past few days.

Officials said district and village teams will continue damage assessments over the coming days to inform relief and rehabilitation planning, particularly for households and farmers whose roofs, vehicles and crops bore the worst of the storm.