TBILISI, DFWatch–A hailstorm Friday night damaged eight villages in Akhmeta in the eastern Kakheti region of Georgia.

The damaged villages are Ashkhnis Velebi, Akhshani, Arashenda, Chabinaani, Khorkheli, Zemo Khodasheni, Ozhio and Atskhuri, according to the Kakheti Information Center.

Representatives of the local government in Akhmeta say that about 80 percent of vineyards in those villages were destroyed, as well as fruits, vegetables and grain.

The hailstorm lasted for 20 minutes on Friday evening along with a storm. Villagers ask for compensation, while the local government claims a commission is working on estimating the loss, but the extent of damage is not yet known. A preliminary estimate will become known in about one week.

Hailstorms are not rare in Georgia, especially in the Kakheti region. As DF Watch previously reported a hailstorm damaged villages in April and May, while last summer there was one of the strongest hailstorm in Georgian history, affecting about 40 000 families.