Drastic shortfall in rains in all Northeast states raising temperatures

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: All NE states faced a huge shortfall in rainfall distribution for the week ending on September 18, 2024. The worst affected was Arunachal Pradesh, with a 95% deficit in rainfall, while Assam recorded a shortfall of 86% less than normal.

In the past few days, Guwahati and the rest of Assam have been facing a heatwave, with the maximum temperature recorded on Friday being 38 degree Celsius, which was marked as above-normal temperature. The heatwave has been attributed to the huge deficit in rainfall in all the NE states.

According to the Guwahati Regional Metereological Centre of the India Metereological Department (IMD), in the week ending September 18, Arunachal Pradesh usually gets 98.1 mm of rainfall, but it received only 5.3 mm, which was 95% less than normal. Assam’s normal rainfall is 70 mm, but the state received only 9.8%, which was 86% less than normal. The neighbouring state of Meghalaya also witnessed a deficit of 86% rainfall. Against the normal of 106.8 mm during the week, the state got only 15 mm.

The other states of Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura also got less than normal rainfall. In Manipur, against the normal of 47.1 mm, the state got 33.6 mm, which was 29% less than normal in the week. Similarly, Mizoram received 70 % deficit rainfall, receiving 27 mm instead of the usual 89.6 mm. Nagaland was the second-worst affected in terms of rainfall, getting only 2.9 mm of rainfall against the normal of 49.8 mm, which was 94% less. Lastly, Tripura received 14.2 mm of rainfall in the week ending September 18. Against the normal of 58 mm of rainfall, the state received 14.2 mm, which was less by 76% from the normal.

According to IMD, the current metereological conditions show the monsoon trough at mean sea level now passes through Bikaner, Shivpuri, Sidhi, Jamshedpur, and Digha and thence southeastwards to eastcentral Bay of Bengal.

The IMD has predicted hot and humid weather very likely over sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on September 20 and 21; the same weather will prevail over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura during September 20 to 22.

IMD has also predicted that above-normal maximum temperature is very likely over Northeast India during the next three days. However, isolated heavy rainfall predicted in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Meghalaya during September 23 to 26 is expected to bring down the heat.

 Also Read: Guwahati: Heavy Rains Trigger Flash Floods, Several Areas Submerged (sentinelassam.com)

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