Weather Update, April 22: The wet spell over Northeast India has no intentions of ceasing anytime soon, as more intense rain and inclement weather conditions have been forecast over the region for this weekend and the start of next week.
As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), strong and moist southwesterly winds will continue to blow in from the Bay of Bengal and onto the northeastern states, effectively influencing the regional weather for the next five days, from April 22 to 26.
ii) Isolated heavy rainfall likely over Sikkim on 22nd; over Assam-Meghalaya during 22nd-24th April & Arunachal Pradesh on 23rd & 24th April, 2022 and isolated hailstorm/squall (speed 50-60 kmph) also likely over Assam-Meghalaya and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal-Sikkim on 22nd April.
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) April 22, 2022
Under the influence of these meteorological conditions, fairly widespread to widespread rains are very likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, and Sikkim until next Tuesday, April 26 — and possibly beyond.
Also Read: Heavy rainfall spells likely to continue over Assam-Meghalaya & Arunachal till April 17: IMD
The rainfall will be accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds blowing at 30-40 kmph on all five days.
Furthermore, isolated heavy downpours are expected to lash Sikkim on Friday; Assam and Meghalaya from Friday to Sunday, and Arunachal Pradesh over the weekend. Rainfall amounts of up to 50 mm per day may be possible in those isolated locations, weather.com meteorologists have indicated.
Isolated hailstorms and squalls (speed 50-60 kmph) have also been predicted over Assam, Meghalaya, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, and Sikkim for the next 24 hours.
In view of these predictions, the entire region has been placed under a yellow watch. The advisory urges residents to ‘be aware’ of inclement weather, especially during thunderstorms and hailstorms.
Rough conditions and heavy downpours have prevailed over the region for the past two weeks now. Just last week, severe storms and lightning strikes led to the deaths of at least 14 people in Assam, including two minors.
Owing to the persistent precipitation, some parts of Northeast India have recorded above-average rainfall this pre-monsoon season, while other states are gradually catching up.
Between March 1 and April 21, Meghalaya (464.4 mm) and Assam (305.9 mm) have both received ‘large excess’ rains as compared to their respective averages for this period, while Sikkim has registered ‘excess’ rainfall at 400.8 mm.
On the other hand, the recorded precipitation across Arunachal Pradesh (400.3 mm), Manipur (145.9 mm), and Nagaland (133.2 mm) has been ‘normal’, but Tripura (94.4 mm) and Mizoram (61.7 mm) continue to reel under ‘deficit’ and ‘large deficit’ rainfall conditions, respectively.
