La Nina, El Nino set off opposing rainfall patterns in NE in last 2 years

GUWAHATI: After the onset of the monsoon this year in the second week of June, the two northeastern states of Assam and Meghalaya have been receiving high volumes of rainfall. According to weather department data, in June Assam received 389.7 mm of rainfall, which is 26% above normal. Meghalaya also witnessed excess rain, 30% above the normal range. However, Manipur and Mizoram were described as having a rain deficit by Met Department officials. The other four states in this region—Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Sikkim—saw normal rainfall.

The excess rain in Assam has caused a chaotic situation in the state, where at least 19 districts are inundated by flood water. The major rivers like the Brahmaputra, Manas, Puthimari, and Pagladiya are flowing above the danger level. However, a state government official said that the flood situation cannot be solely linked to the rain in Assam. "Although Assam has witnessed slightly excess rainfall this month, the heavy rain in parts of Bhutan recently has been the primary cause of the flood," he added.

Sanjay O'Neil Shaw, the director of the regional meteorological centre at Guwahati, said, "The monsoon has arrived in the northeast on June 10. The ongoing rainfall is due to the monsoon and was expected. We are anticipating more rain in the coming days." Meghalaya also received excess rainfall in June, which led to recurrent disruptions in road connectivity. The highway connecting Southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur, which goes through Meghalaya, witnessed repeated landslides this month, resulting in disruption of vehicular movement. "The monsoon in the northeast almost has a usual pattern over the years. Sometimes it rains heavily in some parts of the region while other areas receive less rainfall. The situation also changes very quickly, as often the monsoon wind changes its direction," Shaw mentioned.

Last year, the northeast received heavy pre-monsoon showers, which wreaked havoc in Dima Hasao district in Assam. Floods also occurred in Assam at that time. However, this year, the entire northeast was rain-deficient, and 38% below normal rainfall occurred in the previous month. Heat waves swept Assam and Meghalaya, which forced the state administrations to revise the school timings to make it easier for the children to study.

Bhupendra Nath Goswami, former director of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, said, "The rising mercury level is somewhat linked to global warming and all. But the rain patterns in the last two years were consistent according to La Nina and El Nino effects." According to Goswami, when La Nina happens, Assam and the northeast receive more rainfall in May, just before the beginning of the monsoon. After the onset of the monsoon, the northeast receives fewer showers compared to other parts of the country. (IANS)

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