Since Northeast India witnesses heavy downpour during the Monsoon months, these places generally have the capacity to absorb any small deficiency. Monthly average rainfall of several places even runs into four digits due to its mountainous terrain with varying heights from valleys to high hills.
Monsoon rain in Northeast India
The monsoonal rainfall pattern in Northeast is such that it rains mostly during from late evening to early morning hours. Probably it’s the only pocket of the country where one wakes up to a clear blue sky in the morning.
Southwest Monsoon made a sluggish start this year with subdued activity in the initial phase and made a very slow advancement. The onset of Monsoon phase should normally witness significant rain but this year the actual outburst of Southwest Monsoon was missing. In the last 15 days or so, Monsoon had been on a break but seems to be reviving now.
The break monsoon condition is favourable for some good rain in East and Northeast India, particularly along the foothills. Sikkim and Sub Himalayan West Bengal and Northeast generally receive good showers during such breaks. Incessant good spells of rain becomes a common phenomenon but it does rain all along Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and other sates simultaneously.
Some amount of rain is required to maintain the ecosystem of the place but such heavy showers are not productive but only add on to the misery of the people as the excess rain either flows down the slopes of Meghalaya to Bangaladesh or causes flooding in Bihar. In fact, for the first time flood situation arrived in the Brahmaputra River in the month of August.
According to latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, as Monsoon in India seems to be reviving now, rain has shifted gear from Northeast to Southern parts of the country.
Rainfall figures in Cherrapunji, Shillong and Passighat ( in millimetres) after 10th of August:-
| Cherrapunji | Shillong | Passighat | |
| 11th Aug | 85 | 2 | 98 |
| 12th Aug | 199 | 54 | 165 |
| 13th Aug | 300 | 111 | 95 |
| 14th Aug | 346.6 | 109.9 | 111.3 |
| 15th Aug | 258 | 77 | 54 |
| 16th Aug | 29 | 6 | 3 |
| 17th Aug | 134 | 18.8 | 10 |
| 18th Aug | 83.3 | 6.7 | 166.5 |
| 19th Aug | 84 | 2 | 4 |
| 20th Aug | 5 | 2 | 15 |
| 21st Aug | 99 | 6 | 76 |
| 22nd Aug | 118.8 | 52.4 | 179.2 |
| 23rd Aug | 288.6 | 66.4 | 141.4 |
| 24th Aug | 294 | 56 | 83 |
| 25th Aug | 35 | 4 | 44 |
| 26th Aug | 2 | 6.3 | 0 |
| 27th Aug | Nil | 1.4 | Nil |
Cherrapunji situated in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya, has been receiving continuous good to very heavy showers and recorded 1824.4 mm of rain till the 20th of August, against the monthly average of 1914 mm. Cherrapunji has now surpassed the monthly average by receiving 2666.5 mm of rain so far. With 1535.9 mm of rain so far this month, Passighat in Arunachal Pradesh has also left the monthly average of 670.6 mm far behind. Similarly, for Shillong the long period average for August is 296.6 mm while the city has received 623.7 mm of rain till date.
The figures substantiate the fact that rain now relents from Northeast; Cherrapunji and Passighat remained dry in last 24 hours.
picture courtesy- chitramazza blog