A fierce hailstorm wreaked havoc across south-eastern Bulgaria, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Regions including Plovdiv, Haskovo, Stara Zagora, and Sliven bore the brunt of the tempest, with crops decimated and infrastructure damaged.

While no casualties were reported, the agricultural heartland of Bulgaria faced significant setbacks as the hailstorm pummeled through fields and villages. In areas such as Banya, Samuilovo, Zetiovo, Gita, Svoboda, and Shivachevo near Nova Zagora, the impact was particularly severe, with crops of wheat, potatoes, and roses obliterated.

The devastation extended to neighboring regions, with Chirpan, Tvarditsa, Kazanlak, and Stara Zagora also feeling the wrath of the storm. Simeonovgrad and Harmanli were not spared either, as crops were flattened, and infrastructure bore the brunt of the hail's fury. Greenhouses were shattered, cars damaged, and houses and shops flooded in Harmanli, adding to the woes of the affected communities.

In a bid to mitigate the damage, the Ministry of Agriculture sprang into action, deploying over 600 anti-hail missiles across four regions of the country on April 25th. Despite these efforts, the scale of the destruction underscores the vulnerability of Bulgaria's agricultural sector to extreme weather events.

As communities reel from the aftermath of the hailstorm, attention turns to recovery efforts and measures to support affected farmers and residents. With crops destroyed and infrastructure in need of repair, the road to recovery promises to be arduous, requiring concerted efforts from both the government and local communities.