Assam: IMD sounds ‘Red Alert’, rainfall warning till June 20
Staff Reporter
Guwahati: Amidst the persistent rainfall over the state in the last few days, more rainfall activity has been forecast till June 20, and a ‘Red Alert’ has been issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on June 17 and 18. A ‘Red alert’ is a warning to take action. The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) Guwahati, under the IMD, issued a special weather bulletin on Sunday evening, which contains the rainfall warning as well as the ‘Red’ alert.
The IMD gave an account of the current meteorological conditions, saying, “The east-west trough runs from northwest Bihar to Meghalaya across the cyclonic circulation over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal at 0.9 km above mean sea level. A cyclonic circulation lies over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and the neighbourhood and extends up to 1.5 km above mean sea level. Another cyclonic circulation lies over northeast Assam and the neighbourhood, between 1.5 km and 5.8 km above mean sea level.”
The conditions outlined by IMD are predicted to result in weather phenomena as follows: “Under the influence of the above synoptic conditions and moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal due to S-ly/SW-ly winds in the lower lever, widespread rainfall accompanied by heavy to very heavy rainfall from June 16th–20th, 2024, and exceptionally heavy rain on June 18th, 2024.”
The date-wise prediction:
June 17: Light to moderate rainfall is very likely to occur at most places, with isolated heavy to very heavy rain along with isolated extremely heavy rain over Chirang, Baksa, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, and Tamulpur districts. Heavy to very heavy rain is very likely to occur in isolated places over Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, and Dhemaji districts, and thunderstorms and lightning with isolated heavy rain are very likely to occur over Dibrugarh, Dima Hasao, Cachar, Hailakandi, and Karimganj districts. Heavy rain is very likely to occur in isolated places over South Salmara, Goalpara, Bajali, Nalbari, and Karbi Anglong districts, and thunderstorms and lightning with isolated heavy rain are very likely to occur over west Karbi Anglong, Sibsagar, Charaideo, and Tinsukia districts.
June 18: Light to moderate rainfall is very likely to occur at most places, with heavy to very heavy rain along with isolated extremely heavy to exceptionally heavy rain very likely to occur at isolated places over Barpeta and isolated heavy to very heavy rain along with isolated extremely heavy rain over Chirang, Baksa, Bongaigaon, and Tamulpur. Heavy to very heavy rainfall, along with isolated extremely heavy rain, is very likely to occur over Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Udalguri, Morigaon, Nagaon, West Karbi Anglong, Karbi Anglong, Golaghat, Sonitpur, Biswanath, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Jorhat, and Majuli districts. Also, thunderstorms and lightning with isolated heavy rain are very likely to occur over Dibrugarh, Dima Hasao, Cachar, Hailakandi, and Karimganj districts. And heavy rain is very likely to occur at isolated places over South Salmara, Goalpara, Bajali, Nalbari, Kamrup Rural, Kamrup (M), Hojai, Sibsagar, Charaideo, and Dibrugarh districts, and thunderstorms and lightning with isolated heavy rain are very likely to occur over Tinsukia district.
June 19: Light to moderate rainfall is very likely to occur at most places with heavy to very heavy rain, along with isolated extremely heavy rain that is very likely to occur at Kokrajhar and Bongaigaon, and heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places over Chirang, Baksa, Tamulpur, Nalbari, Nagaon, Morigaon, West Karbi Anglong, Karbi Anglong, and Dima Hasao districts. And with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over South Salmara and Golaghat, isolated heavy rainfall is very likely to occur at isolated places over Dhubri, Goalpara, Bajali, Kamrup Rural, Kamrup (M), Darrang, Udalguri, Hojai, Sonitpur, Biswanath, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Jorhat, Majuli, Sibsagar, Charaideo, Karimganj, and Cachar districts.
June 20: Light to moderate rainfall is very likely to occur at most places, with heavy to very heavy rain along with isolated extremely heavy rain being very likely to occur at Kokrajhar, heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places over Barpeta, West Karbi Anglong, Karbi Anglong, and Dima Hasao districts, and heavy rain at isolated places over Chirang, Baksa, Bongaigaon, Nagaon, and Morigaon districts.
Chief amount of rainfall (7 cm or more) recorded during the last 24 hours:
Barpeta (dist Barpeta) 30, Aie NH Xing (dist Bongaigaon) 29, Beky Rly.bridge (dist Barpeta) 25, Manash NH Xing (dist Barpeta) 24, Bahalpur (dist Dhubri) 23, Barpeta/Sarbhog Aws (dist Barpeta) 23, Tihu Arg (dist Nalbari) 20, Tamulpur (dist Baksa) 20, Panbari (dist Chirang) 18, Srijangram Arg (dist Bongaigaon) 17. Bilasipara ARG (dist Dhubri) 16, Kokrajhar (dist Kokrajhar) 13, Fakiragram Arg (dist Kokrajhar) 13, Goibargaon (dist Baksa) 13, Gossaigaon (dist Kokrajhar) 13, Hazuah (dist Barpeta) 12, Drf (dist Baksa) 10, Dhubri Cwc (dist Dhubri) 9. Melabazar/matunga (dist Nalbari) 9, Tamulpur Arg (dist Baksa) 9, Dhubri imd (dist Dhubri) 8, Goalpara aws (dist Goalpara) 7 cm.
With the incessant rain pouring over many parts of the state, there are reports of damage to roads, uprooting of big trees. Travellers on the under-construction four-lane national highways in upper Assam are facing immense problems traversing many sections, amidst the rainfall causing visibility issues and inadequate signage leading to confusion for drivers.
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