Guwahati: Persistent pre-monsoon rains across the northeastern region have triggered flooding in several areas of Assam since Friday night, affecting more than 6,000 people. The flooding occurred amid the possibility of an advancement of the monsoon onset over the northeast. Although conditions improved considerably by Saturday evening, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) remained on alert after the Indian Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) warned of heavy rain at isolated places across several northeastern states over the next two days — Sunday and Monday.
“Heavy rain is very likely to occur at isolated places over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya,” the RMC said in a statement on Saturday. Amid rising concerns over rain and thunderstorms, IMD officials said the possible early onset of the monsoon over Kerala could bring advance rainfall to the northeast. Meteorologists noted that the normal onset date of the southwest monsoon is June 1 for Kerala and June 5 for Assam. “Once the monsoon hits Kerala ahead of schedule, the northeast too can expect an early onset,” a Met official said.
The IMD stated, “The Southwest Monsoon is likely to set in over Kerala on May 26 with a model error of ± four days,” indicating that it could arrive as much as four days before May 26. Sribhumi recorded the highest rainfall in the northeast in the 24 hours ending 8:30 am on Saturday, with 17 cm, followed by BP Ghat in the same south Assam district with 15 cm. Both locations reported “very heavy” rainfall, leading to flooding in the southern Assam region. Other places that recorded “heavy rainfall” during the same period included Manikpur (11 cm), Silchar (8 cm), and Williamnagar in Meghalaya (7 cm), according to the IMD.
According to ASDMA, urban flooding was reported in Dispur revenue circle in Guwahati and Silchar revenue circle in Cachar district of southern Assam. Around 650 people were affected by urban flooding in Silchar as of Saturday evening, while 380 people were affected in Katigorah revenue circle of Cachar district, where three villages were inundated. The Met office also issued a warning for Tripura on Sunday, forecasting thunderstorms and lightning with gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph at isolated places. It further warned of thunderstorms and lightning with gusty winds of 30-40 kmph at isolated places over Meghalaya and Mizoram during the day. Thunderstorms and lightning were also said to be very likely at isolated places over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur on Sunday, the RMC said.
