Lack of rain and warm westerly winds from the adjoining states of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal led to heat wave and significant rise in day temperatures last week across Northeast India, comprising of the seven states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya and Manipur.
Insufficient rain in the states including Dooars has affected tea plantations as 50 per cent production has been hampered in 2014. Maximums were soaring in Assam, Manipur and Mizoram and recorded 7 to 9 degrees above the normal average.
The maximum temperature in Guwahati touched 40.1⁰C on 21st April, equalling the all-time high recorded on 7th April, 1999. This was nine degrees above the normal average of 31⁰C for the month of April. Dhubri recorded 37⁰C on the same day. This was the highest maximum in last one decade as Dhubri had touched 36.3⁰C on 27th April, 2009. In North Lakhimpur, maximum reached 37.6⁰C on 20th April. The last time North Lakhimpur became so hot was on 22nd April, 1999, when the maximum settled at 36.2⁰C.
However, the weather in Northeast India improved after rain lashed the region last weekend resulting in a total change of fate as temperatures have come down significantly and settling in low-thirties in most places.
Reason for rain in Northeast India
In this season, the heat pockets in West Bengal and Bihar lead to the formation of small cyclonic circulations giving rise to moisture laden southwesterly and southerly winds, which bring light to good amounts of rain in Northeast India and sub Himalayan West Bengal.
Last Sunday almost all the weather stations including Dibrugarh, Passighat, Shilong, Cherrapunji, Imphal and Kohima witnessed some rain.
The circulation over sub Himalayan West Bengal and East India has been persisting and brought light rain in the region in last 24 hours. Darjeeling received 21.2 mm of rain, Kailashahar 15 mm, Jalpaiguri 7.6 mm, Jorhat 8.3 mm, Dibrugarh 4.5 mm, Kohima 2.8 mm and Lakhimpur 2 mm of rain. Guwahati, Tejpur, Passighat, Imphal, Silchar, Agartala and Shillong also received very light rain.
According to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, the Western Disturbance while moving across the region will accentuate the intensity of rain in the northeast region on the first 3 days of May. This will bring good weather to the region that had been experiencing record-breaking temperatures last week. The tea planters in Dooars are heaving a sigh of relief as they see a new ray of hope for meeting the demands.