IMD issues ORANGE alert for Himachal Pradesh, Assam and 6 more northeastern states as incessant rain wreaks havoc
Weather today: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for several north-eastern states and Himachal Pradesh for June 1. Hence, heavy rainfall is likely in Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh today. This follows incessant rain in Assam for the past three days that caused flood like situation and triggered landslides in the states.
Under the influence of low-pressure area over Meghalaya and associated cyclonic circulation lies over Arunachal Pradesh, several parts of northeast India will witness widespread rainfall in the coming days.
Very heavy rainfall likely to continue over northeastern states and sub-Himalayan West Bengal till June 1, IMD said. The Meteorological Department in its latest weather bulletin stated, 'Light/moderate rainfall at most/many places with isolated heavy falls likely to continue over Northeast India during next 7 days. Isolated very heavy rainfall is very likely over Assam & Meghalaya and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura on 01st June.'
After massive landslides in Arunachal Pradesh claimed 9 lives, Chief Minister Pema Khandu announced ex-gratia worth ₹ 4 lakh each to the kin of the deceased. Manipur's capital - Imphal witnessed flood-like situation in several areas on May 31 after incessant rainfall caused severe waterlogging. In Mizoram, one person died after massive landslide led to destruction of 13 houses.
Three individuals lost their lives in rain-related incident in Meghalaya.
Karnataka and Kerala may witness light to moderate rainfall, thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds until June 4.
IMD's press release dated May 31 states, 'Light/moderate rainfall at some places with isolated heavy rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm, lightning & gusty winds speed reaching 40-50 kmph over South Interior Karnataka' until June 2.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
May records highest rainfall since 1901; Delhi remained unusually cool
New Delhi: The month of May was unusually cooler this year, with average daytime temperatures recording the seventh lowest for the month since 1901 and the lowest in the last four years, according to the India Meteorological Department's temperature and rainfall report for May. Night-time temperatures, or minimum temperatures, were also on the lower side this May, which recorded the 59th lowest average minimum temperatures for the month since 1901. 'Over India, the average maximum temperature (35.08 degree Celsius) was 7th lowest and average minimum temperature (24.07 degree Celsius) was 59th lowest since 1901. Mean temperature (29.57 degree Celsius) was the 19th lowest since 1901,' the IMD report said. The report also highlighted that the average rainfall across the country in May, recorded at 126.7 mm (106.4% of the long period average), was the highest for the month since 1901, when the temperatures first began recording. This May also recorded the highest number of heavy (64.5 to 115.5 mm) rain events at 1,053; very heavy (115.6 to 204.5 mm) rain events at 262; and extremely heavy (more than 204.5 mm) rain events at 39, in the past five years, barring 2021, when the number of extremely heavy rain events was higher at 42. OP Sreejith, scientist and head, Climate Monitoring and Prediction Group, IMD, cited long spells of 'overcast skies and wet conditions' behind the unusually cooler month of May this year. 'There are three main reasons for such unusual rains. First, Monsoon arrived early. Secondly, two depressions formed over Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal; and third, more Western Disturbances (WDs) impacted northern India,' Sreejith said. According to IMD data, the coolest May was recorded in 1917, when the average maximum temperature across the country was logged at 33.09°C. The next coolest May was recorded in 1933, with the average daytime temperature at 34.10°C, followed by 34.88°C in 1977, 34.93°C in 2021, 34.98°C in 1920, and 35.05°C in 1971. Over Central India, the average day temperature the previous month stood at 36.63 degree Celsius, the third lowest since 1901, while the average minimum temperature (25.14 degree Celsius) was the 12th lowest since 1901. Mean temperature (30.89 degree C) was the 3rd lowest since 1901, according to IMD. HT has earlier reported that May has been unusual for northwest India, particularly because of persistence of slow-moving western disturbances over the region. WDs are cyclones originating in the Mediterranean Sea which move east and bring winter rain to the northwest India. The impact of WDs is felt normally during December, January and February, but this year they have been active till late May. A persistence of WDs is normally deemed unfavourable for the monsoon, according to experts. 'WDs are persisting till summer this year. Monsoon has not progressed to NW India yet and hence we cannot say whether it will interact with these WDs. One of the main reasons we are seeing sudden, intense thunderstorm activity over NW India is the unusual persistence of these WDs,' M Mohapatra, director general, IMD, said last week. The northern limit of the Southwest Monsoon continues to pass through Mumbai, Ahilyanagar, Adilabad, Bhawanipatna, Puri, Sandhead Island. It has not progressed since last week, IMD said.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Delhi: Yellow alert on Tuesday, mercury to rise up to 40°C by Friday
A day after Delhi recorded squally weather, with winds gusting at up to 96km/hr, the Capital logged overcast skies on Monday, with a maximum temperature of 36.1 degrees Celsius (°C), even as a yellow alert was in place for the day. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Tuesday too, forecasting light rain, thunderstorm and gusty winds briefly touching 60km/hr. Further, no colour coded alert is in place for Wednesday, while there are chances of isolated drizzle. No rain and thunderstorm is expected from Thursday till Saturday as the temperature is likely to rise towards 40°C. 'The impact of a western disturbance and cyclonic circulation is leading to thunderstorm activity and strong winds. There are varying degree of alerts for the entire northwest India till Tuesday. After that, activity in the region will begin to reduce and we will gradually see a rise in temperature,' IMD scientist Krishna Mishra said. On Monday, the maximum temperature was recorded at 36.1°C, four degrees below normal. It is likely to be between 34-37°C till Wednesday before gradually rising and inching towards 40°C by Friday. No rain was recorded during the day, as per data from 8:30am till 5:30pm. IMD's forecast suggested winds upto 60km/hr on Monday, however, officials said the storm moved south-eastwards, thus impacting Nuh, Alwar and Bharatpur instead. 'This area even received a hailstorm, whereas it ended up avoiding Delhi,' Mishra added.
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Decoding the monsoon onset: signs, signals and surprises
MUMBAI: While torrential downpours across many regions in India, including Mumbai, in May, have captured national attention, behind the dramatic skies lie critical questions about the timing of the declaration of the monsoon's onset, its implications for key stakeholders, and how inaccurate weather alerts can undermine disaster preparedness. The declaration of the monsoon's onset in India is undoubtedly one of the most awaited events of the year. More than simply a season of rain, it is, in fact, a massive seasonal shift in winds that transports vast amounts of moisture from the Indian Ocean toward the Indian subcontinent, ultimately leading to a large amount of rainfall. At a very basic level, the monsoon can be considered to be a giant land-sea breeze, arising from the differential heating between land and Indian Ocean. Since land warms faster than water, air pressure over South Asia is reduced compared to that over the Indian Ocean during summer months, drawing in moisture-laden south westerly winds toward land. One could therefore argue that a hot summer season is essential for a timely onset of the monsoon and excess rainfall in the country. And yet, the monsoon progressed rapidly in May this year despite most of the country witnessing a mild summer. This curious case demonstrates that there is no correlation between surface temperatures during the summer and the monsoon onset. As previous research has shown, what matters is the differential heating that occurs high up in the sky, typically above 20,000 feet. The monsoon onset in Kerala happens when the heating at this height over India and neighbouring land is stronger than that over the Indian Ocean. This process must have happened much earlier this year, which helped the monsoon reach Kerala almost a week in advance. The declaration of the onset of monsoon over Kerala has often sparked debate in the past. Heavy rainfall in the state during some years such as 1967, 1979, 1986, 1995, 1997 and 2002 tempted officials to declare the monsoon onset, but the weather soon cleared up leading to a 'bogus onset'. A monsoon onset is deemed 'bogus' when atmospheric conditions mimic the monsoon but are short-lived or incomplete. Such premature declarations in the past led to the implementation of a formal set of criteria in 2006. Under the current guidelines, the onset over Kerala is declared only when specific thresholds are met: consistent and widespread rainfall over Kerala, coastal Karnataka, and Lakshadweep; the establishment of monsoon winds in the atmosphere; and the presence of deep clouds off the Kerala coast. It is generally observed that once the monsoon reaches Kerala, the role of wind patterns in subsequent onset declarations tends to diminish, with greater emphasis placed on rainfall — often making the process more subjective. On May 26, the IMD declared the monsoon's arrival in Mumbai, marking the earliest onset in over 75 years. However, weather models used by the IMD and Doppler radar observations in Mumbai revealed a notable absence of the characteristic westerly or southwesterly monsoon winds, both at the surface and up to 5,000 feet above sea level. Instead, air was flowing in from Rajasthan and Gujarat, rather than the Indian Ocean — in stark contrast to the wind pattern over Goa, where the monsoon was firmly established. The heavy rainfall that day was, in fact, the result of strong pre-monsoon thunderstorms that approached the city from the northeast, rather than a true monsoonal surge. Undoubtedly, the monsoon progressed rapidly this year along the west coast of India, but the monsoon winds in Maharashtra are yet to extend beyond south Konkan. What lies ahead is a particularly intriguing weather pattern. A surge of dry air from arid regions to India's west and northwest is now sweeping into the country, effectively stalling the further advance of the monsoon. News of the monsoon's arrival in Mumbai and Konkan often brings hope to farmers in interior Maharashtra, who assume the rains will soon follow in their regions. However, premature or inaccurate monsoon onset declarations can mislead them, prompting sowing decisions in the absence of dependable rainfall—a gamble with serious consequences. The monsoon is generally a stable weather system, with onset and withdrawal dates for a region such as Mumbai varying by not more than a week from year to year. While triple-digit rainfall totals are not uncommon for the city, the challenge arises when such volumes fall within just a few hours. As the planet warms due to global warming, the atmosphere is increasingly primed to unload intense bursts of rain in shorter durations, particularly during pre-monsoon thunderstorms. This growing volatility calls for a shift in preparedness: civic authorities must not adhere rigidly to traditional early-June timelines, but instead complete all pre-monsoon works before the first signs of pre-monsoon thunderstorms appear. It is important that weather alerts are issued prior to the onset of a severe weather event. In the days that followed the May 26 downpour in Mumbai, real-time warnings and text message alerts also lacked accuracy. A recurring pattern of delayed or false alarms erodes public trust in the forecasting system — increasing the risk that genuinely dangerous events may be downplayed or ignored when swift action is most needed. (Dr Akshay Deoras is a research scientist at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science and the Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, UK.)
