In less than a fortnight, scores of chilli, maize, paddy and mango growers bore the brunt of nature’s fury when yet another spell of unseasonal rain wreaked havoc in various parts of the district, taking a heavy toll on standing crops as well as the harvested produce. An unexpected spell of moderate to heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds lashed many parts of the district late on Sunday night compounding the woes of farmers, those already reeling under the impact of adverse climatic conditions and the unseasonal rain that battered several mandals in the third week of last month. The maize and mango growers are among the hardest hit by the sudden showers and high velocity winds that extensively damaged the crops ahead of the crucial harvesting season in Kusumanchi, Chintakani, Tirumalayapalem, and other mandals. Extensive damage to standing maize crops was reported from Venkatapuram in Mudigonda mandal, Basvapuram, Kistapuram and Lachagudem in Chintakani mandal, Jellacheruvu in Kusumanchi mandal and several other villages from across the district.