March 2015 North India unseasonal rain

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In March 2015, unseasonal rain and hail hit North India, disrupting the Rabi harvest. A weather system pulled extra moisture from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, bringing heavy showers that extended into April. The rainfall was extreme for March — about 62.5 mm, nearly double the normal amount and the wettest March in around 48 years.

The rains damaged crops across about 15 states, hitting roughly 10–11 million hectares of the 60 million hectares sown. Wheat, mustard, and chickpeas were the hardest hit, with a large part of the wheat crop damaged (about 21% of the sown area). The damage led to higher prices for basic foods. Around 80 farmers died by suicide in March due to the losses.

To help farmers, the government raised crop-damage compensation by about 50% and relaxed the rules for claiming assistance.