GUWAHATI: Following the lead of India’s cyclone-hit southern and western states, parts of Northeast India are now set to witness some intense rainfall activity as well, with heavy rains set to lash the region for the next three days.
According to The Weather Channel’s met team, a cyclonic circulation located over Northeast India will give rise to widespread rains, thunderstorms, and gusty winds blowing at 30 to 40 kmph across the region. Some areas will also experience isolated heavy showers.
The rainfall activity will be especially intense from Wednesday to Friday, with rain totals in excess of 100 mm a day expected over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and adjoining places.
Apart from the heavy precipitation, these areas will also be at the risk of facing swollen rivers and mudslides due to the drag on rain activity, weather.com meteorologists have warned.
In view of these predictions, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow watch over the entire northeastern region on Wednesday and Thursday. Come Friday, Assam and Meghalaya will be the only two states to retain the same advisory, which urges residents to ‘be aware’ of the local weather situation.
Within Assam, the IMD’s regional met centre in Guwahati has issued thunderstorm warnings over most districts. However, the Assamese districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Barpeta, Nalbari, Darrang, Golaghat, Bishwanath, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Majuli, Charaideo, Dibrugarh, Tinsuka, Dima Hasao, Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj will be particularly vulnerable to isolated heavy rains over the next three days.
Further, the districts of East Kameng, Papumpare, East Siang, Lower Dibang Valley, Dibang Valley, Anjaw, Lohit, Changlang and Tirap in Arunachal Pradesh; Jiribam and Churachandpur in Manipur; and Wokha, Mokokchung, Tuensang and Mon in Nagaland will also be affected by isolated heavy rainfall in this forecast period.
The intense rain activity has been ongoing since Tuesday, with the IMD observing heavy rainfall at isolated places in Assam and Meghalaya during the morning and afternoon hours of Tuesday.
Meanwhile, since the beginning of the pre-monsoon season on March 1, a majority of the northeastern states have recorded below-normal rainfall as compared to their respective average figures for this period.
Between March 1 and May 18, Arunachal Pradesh (392.8 mm), Assam (230.9 mm), Nagaland (146.3 mm), Manipur (178.1 mm) and Tripura (206.2 mm) have all recorded ‘deficit’ rainfall figures, whereas Mizoram, at 148.6 mm, has registered a ‘large deficit’. Meghalaya, on the other hand, is the only northeastern state to record ‘normal’ rains at 451.4 mm, albeit quite narrowly.
SOURCE: The Weather Channel
