BENGALURU, March 20 -- A series of intense pre-monsoon hailstorms swept across parts of Karnataka this week, briefly transforming landscapes into white, snow-like expanses while leaving a trail of destruction in agricultural fields and rural livelihoods.

In Dharwad district, Machapur village in Kalghatgi taluk witnessed one of the most striking episodes, when a hailstorm lasting over two hours blanketed roads, rooftops and farmland. The Kalghatgi-Mundgod highway was partially disrupted as heaps of hailstones accumulated, slowing traffic near the village. Similar conditions were reported in nearby Betadur in Kundgol taluk and surrounding areas.

Residents stepped outdoors to photograph and collect the hailstones, treating the rare spectac...