Monsoon's last hurray in NE: Rains to lash Assam, Meghalaya this week

Guwahati, Sept 30: The monsoon is not yet ready to bid goodbye to the Northeast and is gearing up for one final surge this week before it packs this bags for the year.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur in Assam from October 1 to 5 and the withdrawal of the monsoon will take a couple of more weeks in the region.

The weather watchdog also predicted “fairly widespread”, “widespread light” to “moderate rainfall” in Assam and neighbouring Meghalaya during the week.

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) of the IMD has highlighted that moderate rain is expected at a number of places over the two states on Monday.

Notably, September brought a drought-like situation in Assam with the rain deficit pegged at minus 62% till between September 1 and 22. However, increased rains since September 24 narrowed the deficit to minus 48% till September 29.

Against the normal of 272 mm September rainfall, the State received 141.8 mm rainfall in 29 days of this month. The overall monsoon rain deficit (since June 1) has been minus 19% till date.

Additionally, the IMD has forecasted enhanced rainfall activity with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over the other the Seven States for the next 5-6 days, with widespread rainfall expected until October 3.

“Monsoon withdrawal from the Northeast won’t happen immediately. It is likely to occur after at least one week of October or around the middle of October,” a senior official of the IMD told a national daily, on Sunday.

According to IMD sources, the retreat of monsoons from the northeastern states will likely to occur in the first week or the middle of October.

The IMD on Sunday said that heavy rainfall occurred at isolated places over Sikkim, Assam, and Meghalaya in the last 24 hours. Among the seven northeastern states, Rattachera in East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya recorded the highest rainfall at 8 cm during this period.

Further, light to moderate rain is also anticipated at a few places over Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura on the same day.

The IMD has also warned of the likelihood of isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura from October 2 to 4.