Update: Hailstorm Hit J&K on October 8; Rain Returns October 13-15, With a Dry Window Before It

The story so far

JammuBeat's weather piece on 6 October covered rain, thunder and snow on the heights through 10 October. The forecast has since been extended, and a hailstorm has arrived.

What's new

A severe hailstorm with gusty winds hit parts of Jammu and Kashmir on the evening of Thursday 8 October. Reports say it damaged standing crops and orchards and affected traffic in places. No damage figures or locations have been published.

The Meteorological Centre's outlook, as reported on 9 October:

• 9-10 October: partly to generally cloudy, light rain at scattered places, light snow on higher reaches.
• 11-12 October: generally dry.
• 13 October: another spell of rain possible towards evening or night.
• 14-15 October: cloudy, with light rain, thunderstorms, gusty winds at many places and light snow on higher reaches.
• 16-18 October: generally dry.

Jammu recorded a maximum of 31.5°C and a minimum of 20°C.

What it means for your week

If you have a hill trip or an early-morning exam commute planned, 11-12 October and 16-18 October are the safer windows; 13-15 October is the one to plan around, with thunderstorms and wind flagged. The Met Centre advised farmers to continue harvesting and store harvested apples and paddy safely. Forecasts change, so check the latest bulletin on the day you travel.

Photo: file photo of an apple garden in Kashmir (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); it does not show the storm's damage.

Source: Northlines, 9 October 2026.