A sudden storm, coupled with thundershowers, razed various parts of Siliguri subdivision and adjoining Jalpaiguri district on Thursday morning, damaging hutments, cars and houses, while untimely snowfall caught Bengal’s highest point Sandakphu by surprise.

While the storm inconvenienced people in the foothills, Sandakphu, in Darjeeling hills at an altitude of over 11,900 feet, saw “around six inches” of snowfall on Thursday, rare in April third week.

Around 10.15am, the storm broke out in Siliguri and Jalpaiguri, prompting people to rush indoors. Traffic halted on roads in towns and villages and on national and state highways. No casualty was reported. A woman was injured in the storm in Jalpaiguri town.

Chandan Pradhan, the secretary of Singalila Land Rover Owners’ Association, said it snowed “almost six inches” in Sandakphu and Phalut on Thursday morning. “Vehicles haven’t been able to move beyond Chauri Chowk about 3km below Sandakphu,” he said.