The intermittent rain across the state after Friday afternoon downed the mercury and provided relief to people reeling under intense heat wave during the past two weeks.

As the Agartala station of India Meteorological department(IMD) in its weather forecast said that thunderstorms and lightning are very likely to occur at isolated places across Tripura on April 21s, the Norwester storm with wind started pouring across Agartala and many other parts of the state.

Though, Norwester thunder storm and rain provides relief from scorching heat, it has also wreaked havoc in many parts of the state with hail storms.

The heavy Norwester and intermittent rain has also damaged many properties, besides uprooting electric pillars, trees and destroying several acres of crops , especially in Khowai district, where electricity supply was badly affected in Kalyanpur and major parts of Khowai town witnessed massive hail storm on Friday afternoon.

Reports from Khowai said that the hail storm severely damaged crops and vegetable fields, many houses and cars as the size of hail was extremely heavy. As aResult, power supply connections collapsed in the entire Khowai area. So far the exact damages due to a one hour hail storm in Khowai could not be available till the last report.

Sources said that the Norwester  with heavy torrential rain and thunder showers had destroyed parts of  electric supply lines  in many areas and uprooted a few trees and electric pillars. Similar reports from other parts of the state said that the power supply was badly affected due to the Norwester storm.

The first Norwester storm and seasonal squalls accompanied by rains, thunder-storms, lightning and hail-storms have also badly affected the telecommunication services.

MET also issued a warning of thunderstorms with lightning on Saturday and with moderate wind speed.

However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday that the sky in Agartala and its vicinity will remain partially cloudy, rain and thunder showers may occur in some areas of Tripura.

MET department sources said, rain and heavy and moderate thunderstorms may occur in more areas of Tripura during the next 48 hours. The pre-monsoon rains for the last few hours have further cooled the air in the state capital with maximum temperatures rising to near 36.7 degrees Celsius, which is minus 2 degree Celsius from normal temperature and minimum temperature was recorded at 25.3 degrees Celsius.