Budgam, May 23: A massive hailstorm swept through Khag, Trappy and several adjoining areas on Friday, damaging orchards and triggering concern among fruit growers over fresh losses to standing fruit crops.

The sudden weather disturbance affected orchards across multiple villages, with hail pelting fruit-bearing trees and damaging crop growth at a sensitive stage of the horticulture season.
Growers in the affected areas said the hailstorm struck without warning, leaving visible damage in orchards and raising fears of reduced yield and financial losses.
The latest weather event comes amid growing anxiety among orchard owners, many of whom remain dependent on horticulture as a primary source of livelihood.
The extent of damage was still being assessed, though local growers said losses appeared significant in several pockets.
The recurring pattern of hailstorms and erratic weather has increasingly become a challenge for fruit cultivation in Kashmir, where changing weather conditions continue to expose orchards to repeated damage.