Flood Alerts in Parts of Assam; Northeastern States on Red Alert as Heavy Rain Continues

Days after the torrential rainfall and widespread destruction caused by Super Cyclone Amphan over east and northeast India, the entire region is once again set to be on the receiving end of heavy rain and inundation threat for the week to come. Accordingly, red alerts have been placed over Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh between May 26-28, while a severe flood alert has been issued across two Assamese districts.

Forecasts suggest that strong, hot and humid southerly winds from the Bay of Bengal are set to bring heavy rains over northeast India. As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), extremely heavy downpour is possible over isolated areas of Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday, while Assam and Meghalaya shall experience the same over the next five days.

As per the data on the commission's website, current water levels in Nimatighat station in Jorhat stand at 85.89 meters—0.8 meters above the danger level. As for Sonitpur and Baksa districts, the water levels have crossed the danger mark, and are set to touch the highest flooding levels.

Meanwhile, the water levels in multiple other districts have already crossed the warning levels, and are rapidly edging closer towards the danger mark.

Apart from the Assam-Meghalaya region, the IMD has also forecast heavy to very heavy showers over isolated places across Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura between Tuesday and Saturday, while similar conditions are likely to last over adjoining parts of east India until Wednesday, May 27.

Consequently, the IMD has placed a red alert over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya on Tuesday. On Wednesday and Thursday, however, the latter two states will be the only ones to retain the red alert, which instructs residents to keep “most vigil” and “take action” to protect themselves from rough weather.

Assam and Meghalaya started the new week on a thoroughly wet note as well, with the IMD recording heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy falls at isolated places over the two states between the morning hours of Monday and Tuesday.

While high amounts of precipitation appear to be on their way to these two states, both Assam and Meghalaya have collectively recorded ‘normal’ rainfall (506.6 mm) compared to their long-term average since the beginning of the pre-monsoon season, i.e. between March 1 and May 26.

In the same time period, the Gangetic West Bengal region has recorded ‘large excess’ precipitation as compared to its average at 270.9 mm; while the Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim region has also registered ‘normal’ rains worth 402.2.

Lastly, ‘deficit’ rainfall has been witnessed by the collective Nagaland-Manipur-Mizoram-Tripura quartet as well as Arunachal Pradesh, with rain figures worth 208.4 mm and 506.5 mm, respectively.

(With inputs from IANS)