Following an extended dry spell, the sudden and unseasonal downpour triggered widespread damage to banana plantations in both districts, resulting in significant losses for farmers.

In Rasipuram in Namakkal, over 1,500 red banana (sevvazhai) plants owned by Sakthivel (59) and his wife Jayalakshmi were uprooted in strong winds. They had leased two acres of land at Mangalapuram and invested around Rs 2.5 lakh in cultivation.

Similarly, in Melumalai near Shoolagiri in Krishnagiri, around 1,200 plantain trees out of 1,800 were flattened in the farm owned by farmer Anbarasan. “The plants were almost ready for harvest, but the storm destroyed everything in a short time,” he said.