Northeast India boils; Maximum in Guwahati touches all time high

Lack of rain and warm westerly winds from the adjoining states of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal have led to heat wave and significant rise in day temperatures across Northeast India. Summer has just begun and maximums are soaring in Assam, Manipur and Mizoram. They are recording 7 to 9 degrees above the normal average. Here’s a look at some cities that set new records on the 21^st of April:

Guwahati – The maximum temperature in the city touched 40.1⁰C yesterday, equaling the all-time high recorded on 7^th April , 1999. This was nine degrees above the normal average of 31⁰C for the month of April.

North Lakhimpur – Recorded 36.8⁰C as the maximum temperature on Monday. It was even hotter on Sunday, 20^th April as maximum touched 37.6⁰C. The last time North Lakhimpur became so hot was on 22^nd April, 1999, when the maximum settled at 36.2⁰C.

Dhubri – Recorded 37⁰C yesterday, seven degrees above normal. This was the highest maximum in last one decade. Dhubri had touched 36.3⁰C on 27^th April, 2009.

Dibrugarh – Settling eight degrees above normal at 35.6⁰C, Monday’s maximum was the highest in last ten years. The previous highest was 35.1⁰C, recorded on 26^th April, 2012.

 Silchar – At 38.1⁰C (seven degrees above normal), Silchar recorded the hottest day on Monday in last ten years . The previous highest was 37.2⁰C, on 22^nd April, 2008.

Tejpur – The maximum temperature recorded in the city on Monday was 38.1⁰C, hottest in last ten years. Tejpur, on 2^nd April, 2012 had turned equally hot and recorded 36.4⁰C as the maximum temperature.

Imphal – Recorded 35.6⁰C (seven degrees above normal) as the maximum on Monday. This was the highest day temperature recorded in last ten years. The previous record for the month was 34.5⁰C, on 3^rd April, 2012.

Lengpui – Lengpui in Mizoram, recorded a maximum of 37.8⁰C yesterday, which is the second highest day temperature ever. The all-time high of Lengpui is 38.5⁰C, recorded on 22^nd April, 2008.

Shillong – With a maximum of 29.5⁰C (six degrees above normal) on Monday, Shillong was also the hottest in last ten years. The previous record for the month was 28.6⁰C on 18^th April, 2013. The all-time record for the city is 30.2⁰C in the year 1973.

Cherrapunji – One of the wettest cities on earth saw the maximum settling very close to the mark of 27.3⁰C, the highest in ten years. Yesterday’s maximum was 27⁰C, missing by a whisker to become the hottest day.

According to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, the weather in Northeast India will continue to remain miserably hot and humid. There will be very little or no relief till the 25^th or 26^th of April, after which light rain may bring down the temperatures. The last time Northeast India witnessed good, widespread rain was from the 8^th to 10^th of April. Since then rain showers have been restricted to isolated pockets.

Photo by goindia.