Assam braces for heavy rain; IMD issues red alert for western districts

Guwahati, Oct 5: The India Meteorological Department (IMD), along with the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Guwahati, has issued warnings of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall across several parts of Assam, including western districts and the state capital.

According to the IMD forecast, heavy to very heavy rainfall, measuring between 7 cm and 20 cm within 24 hours, is likely at isolated places in Dhubri, Baksa, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, and Tamulpur, while Kokrajhar and Chirang have been placed under a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall of 21 cm or more.

Accompanying thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching up to 50 kmph are expected, raising concerns over potential disruption to normal life.

The weather office has cautioned that waterlogging, local flooding, and landslides may occur in vulnerable areas.

Temporary power outages, interruption of ferry and communication services, and poor visibility affecting road traffic have also been listed among possible impacts.

Officials further warned that standing crops nearing maturity could suffer damage due to intense rainfall.

Residents have been urged to remain indoors during thunderstorms, avoid flood-prone and landslide-prone zones, and follow advisories issued by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).

In Guwahati, an impact-based forecast warns of moderate to heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, with the possibility of intense rainfall spells on October 5 and 6.

The city could experience waterlogging in low-lying areas, traffic snarls, and temporary disruptions to power and municipal services, the RMC noted.

According to the seven-day outlook, Guwahati will see generally cloudy to partly cloudy skies, with light to moderate rain on some days.

Daytime temperatures are expected to hover between 31°C and 33°C, while night temperatures will remain around 24°C to 25°C.