IN Kay Bee Alphonso mangos

A spell of hot weather in Maharashtra last week has wreaked havoc on the state's Alphonso mango crops, with the losses estimated to be around Rs460m (US$11.07m), the Sakaal Times reported.

Growers in the Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts were the worst hit, with both reporting large amounts of fruit falling off trees.

Chief weather observer Anand Patankar said the region had suffered extreme temperatures since 2 April, with the mercury 6-7oC above average.

Mango grower Sanjay Patwardhan has suffered big losses during the hot spell and said the unusually hot weather had caused semi-ripe fruit to fall from trees.

'It's a double blow for mango growers, as the crop had already suffered a 30 per cent drop due to the adverse effects of global warming,' he said.