Heavy rain to lash northeast states over next 4-5 days, bring relief from high humidity

GUWAHATI: After a brief lull following the initial monsoon showers, its raining again in the NE. The IMD has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in the region over the next 4-5 days. Weather experts believe the anticipated showers will provide the much-needed relief to residents reeling under high humidity, often exceeding 80%.
The IMD said northern India is likely to continue experiencing heat wave to severe heat wave conditions over the next 4-5 days.Conversely, Assam and parts of eastern India are expected to have contrasting weather conditions.
“Heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy falls are very likely to continue over sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and northeast India during next 4-5 days,” the Met office said on Thursday.
In the past 24 hours up to 8.30 am on Thursday, Meghalaya recorded heavy to very heavy rainfall, with extremely heavy falls at isolated places. Assam also recorded heavy rain in certain areas during this period.
Cherrapunji and Mawsynram in Meghalaya recorded very heavy to extremely heavy rain. While Cherrapunji received 37cm of rain, Mawsynram got 26cm, Mawkyrwat 13cm and Shella 12 cm.
On Thursday, relative humidity crossed 90% in most weather stations in the northeast, coupled with maximum temperatures breaching the 30-degrees Celsius mark, causing significant discomfort. At 8.30 am, Dhubri and Shillong recorded relative humidity levels of 100%. Shillong, on the other hand, recorded a more pleasant maximum temperature of 20.5 degrees Celsius.
Relative humidity levels were also high in other locations — Dibrugarh (97%), Guwahati (94%) and 92% in Silchar and North Lakhimpur. The current weather system includes a cyclonic circulation over northeast Assam and its neighborhood. An east-west trough extends from northwest Bihar to Nagaland in the lower tropospheric levels and a north-south trough lies roughly along longitude 91°E to the north of latitude 23°N in the lower and middle tropospheric levels. Strong southwesterly and southerly winds from the Bay of Bengal are affecting the NE states at lower tropospheric levels.
Under these influences, the IMD has predicted widespread light to moderate rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds (30-40 kmph), across the NE over the next seven days.