Mussoorie, May 4 -- Heavy rain, hail and thunderstorms lashed several parts of Uttarakhand on Sunday, inflicting widespread damage on crops, especially apples in the hill districts, officials said. The apple belt of Dhanaulti in Tehri district was the worst-hit, with local orchard owners reporting severe losses at a critical growth stage. Initial estimates from the Tehri district administration peg damage at 20% to 30% for high-value horticulture crops including apples, peaches, plums and kiwi, as well as vegetables such as tomatoes and capsicum. According to the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) rainfall data till 3 pm on Sunday, multiple locations recorded moderate to heavy precipitation. In Dehradun district, Jolly Grant logged 19.5 mm, followed by Mohakampur (18 mm), Hathibarkala (17.5 mm), UCOST (17 mm) and Koti (16.5 mm). In Almora, Jageshwar received 16.5 mm and Bhikiyasain 15 mm. Khatima in Udham Singh Nagar and Chaubatia in Nainital each recorded 14.5 mm, while Mussoorie and Kosiyakutoli logged 13.5 mm apiece. Champawat and Rani Chauri in Tehri received 13 mm and 12.5 mm, respectively. Over the past 24 hours, the state saw light to moderate rain, with isolated thunderstorms, lightning and hail. Pithoragarh topped the list at 47.9 mm, followed by Gangolihat (37 mm), Pantnagar (30.6 mm) and Dangoli (31.5 mm). Kausani received 22 mm, while Kirtinagar, Thalisain and Ukhimath logged 20 mm, 20 mm and 18 mm, respectively. Thunderstorms hit Dehradun, Jolly Grant and Pantnagar; hail fell in parts of Dehradun, Sama and Pithoragarh. Satendra Panwar, who owns an orchard with more than 500 apple trees in Dhanaulti, said, "The hailstorm and thunderstorm have damaged our apple crops. Only about 20% of the trees are left unaffected, causing heavy losses to growers in the area." He added that the storms struck during the flowering stage, leading to large-scale shedding of flowers and leaves. Arvind Sharma, district horticulture officer in Tehri, urged farmers to report losses immediately for assessment and compensation. He said those covered under the restructured weather-based crop insurance scheme should contact officials to initiate claims, while others should approach the department to explore available assistance. Chief development officer Varuna Agrawal said the administration was coordinating with departments to ensure timely relief. "We are prioritising relief and assistance operations, and timely reporting by farmers will help in faster compensation," she said. In Uttarkashi district, wheat and rajma crops suffered damage in villages including Bagori, Banot and Kumrada in the Chinyalisaur block. IMD forecasts light to moderate rain, thunderstorms and hail remain in Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar. Similar conditions should persist in hill districts over the next few days, IMD added....