Jaipur, March 20 -- Unseasonal rains triggered by a western disturbance have battered Rajasthan for a second day, lashing districts with showers and hailstorms that have inflicted widespread damage on standing and harvested rabi crops, especially in the west. Heavy rain accompanied by hailstorms hit Sikar, Alwar and Kotputli-Behror on Thursday. Adverse weather has caused extensive harm across the state, particularly in western districts such as Barmer, Jaisalmer and Balotra, sparking alarm among farmers and political leaders. The India Meteorological Department's Jaipur centre has issued an alert for continued rain and hailstorm activity on Friday. Similar conditions prevailed on Wednesday, with more than five districts receiving rain and hail, and daytime temperatures plunging by up to 9degC. The weather system is expected to persist until March 20. On Thursday, districts including Bikaner, Jalore, Sri Ganganagar, Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jaipur and Churu recorded rainfall. In Sikar, hail fell briefly for the second consecutive day, while hailstorms lasting nearly 20 minutes battered Bansur and Narayanpur in Kotputli-Behror. Churu and Laxmangarh saw rain followed by cool winds. Crop damage has surfaced in Jaisalmer and Barmer, hitting cumin (jeera) and isabgol hardest, with the agriculture department assessing losses. A high-tension power line snapped in Jaisalmer's Samdari area due to the storm. Amid mounting losses worth lakhs of Rs., Barmer-Jaisalmer MP Ummedaram Beniwal wrote to chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, spotlighting the severe toll on farmers. He said crops ready for harvest or already cut have been badly damaged, causing financial losses worth lakhs of rupees. Beniwal said that many farmers who had taken loans are now facing a deep economic crisis, with key rabi crops such as cumin, isabgol and mustard severely hit. "Months of hard work by farmers have been washed away overnight," he said, urging immediate relief. He demanded prompt and transparent crop loss assessment (girdawari) and called for a high-level committee to probe alleged delays and irregularities by insurance companies in settling claims. Echoing similar concerns, Baytoo MLA and former minister Harish Choudhary termed the losses "nothing less than brutal" for farmers. In a letter to the chief minister, he sought immediate assessment, timely compensation, and a special relief package for affected farmers, adding that the damage has impacted both livelihoods and farmers' confidence. Both leaders stressed that farmers are central to the country's food security and urged the government to extend urgent support during the crisis. While the rain has brought some relief from rising temperatures-with maximums dropping 3-5degC to below 36degC in most places-it has heightened fears of widespread crop losses. The Met department said parts of Ajmer, Jaipur, Bharatpur and Kota divisions may receive thunderstorms with rain on March 20, while most areas in Jodhpur, Bikaner and Udaipur divisions are likely to remain largely dry. Dry weather is expected on March 21, with chances of light rain returning in parts of Bikaner division and the Shekhawati region on March 22....