As anticipated, inclement weather has wreaked havoc across Punjab, causing widespread damage to the standing wheat crop that was at the harvesting stage.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued an orange warning for April 7-8, forecasting rain, thunderstorms, lightning, hailstorms, and strong winds reaching speeds of up to 60 km per hour.The western disturbance has led to a significant dip in temperatures. Against the seasonal average of 36-38degree C, the state recorded a drop of -8.7° C below normal.Bathinda registered the highest maximum temperature at 28.5° C, while Amritsar remained the coldest at 21.7° C. Thein Dam in Pathankot recorded a minimum (night temperature) temperature of 15° C.This weather system follows two earlier disturbances on March 30-31 and April 3-4, which had already caused notable crop damage.Preliminary estimates by the agriculture department suggest nearly 1.25 lakh acres of wheat fields have been affected, mainly in Muktsar, Bathinda, Fazilka, Mansa, and Ferozepur districts.Fazilka was the worst hit, with 43,978 acres damaged, followed by Muktsar (42,720 acres), Bathinda (20,430 acres), and Moga (11,520 acres).Overcast conditions prevailed across the Malwa region, with strong winds, rain, and hailstorms striking in the afternoon.A microburst in Sukhna Ablu (Muktsar Sahib) caused severe crop damage, while heavy rain lashed Papli village in Faridkot and Rupnagar in Fazilka district.Officials fear losses may exceed 2 lakh acres, given that wheat was sown across an estimated 34 lakh hectares statewide.The IMD has warned that inclement weather will continue on Wednesday, with thunderstorms, lightning, gusty winds (40-50 km/hr), and hailstorms expected at isolated places.Former Joint Director Agriculture Baldev Singh Naurth remarked, “The weather has taken a strange turn at a time when the crop was ready for harvesting.Farmers cannot do much in such conditions. Such situations cause localised damage, with heavy to very heavy rainfall and hailstorm hitting clusters of villages.”Kisan Union leader Balbir Singh Rajewal demanded compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre, stating that repeated weather shocks have dealt a heavy blow to farmers already struggling with falling crop prices and declining yields”