After months of heatwaves, rains arrive in eastern India
Amidst extreme heatwaves punishing Eastern India, the IMD (Indian Meteorological Department) has declared the expected arrival of rain in the states of West Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand, as well as several other states of Northeastern India.
IMD has issued an orange alert for the northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim, with the latest weather estimates predicting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall to continue over the next 4-5 days.
Sub-Himalayan West Bengal will witness light to moderate thunder squalls accompanied by gusty winds of up to 50 kmph over the next week. The coastal plains of Odisha and Tamil Nadu will also witness heavy rainfall due to a cyclonic formation in the Eastern Bay of Bengal.
Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions observed in most parts over Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, western parts of Gangetic West Bengal, southwest Bihar; pic.twitter.com/adKoXfyFzL
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) June 15, 2024
Although IMD has also warned of heatwave-like conditions prevailing in isolated pockets over Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Gangetic West Bengal.
Today’s maximum temperature recordings were in the range of 44–46 °C over most parts of Haryana-Delhi, Punjab, East Uttar Pradesh, north Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand, with Kanpur (East Uttar Pradesh) reporting the highest maximum temperature of 46.3 °C.
IMD Issues Orange Alert for Northeastern States Amidst Monsoon Arrival
Extreme flash floods and cloudbursts in Sikkim’s Mangam district on Friday led to the Teesta River flooding the surrounding low-lying areas, killing nine residents and leaving nearly 2000 tourists stranded.
The Indian Army has already begun airlifting stranded tourists from low-lying areas, and the state disaster management authorities are currently on standby for emergency evacuations in case further flood-like conditions develop.
IMD has issued an orange alert (heavy to extremely heavy rainfall) for the north-eastern states of India starting Saturday. The Met Office said in a post on X, “Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura are likely to get heavy (64.5–115.5 mm) on June 17 and 18, 2024.”
Several isolated pockets of sub-Himalayan Sikkim and West Bengal will also face heavy (64.5–115.5 mm) to very heavy rainfall (115.5–204.4 mm) on June 15 and 16, which will progress to extremely heavy rainfall (>204.4 mm) during June 17–19, 2024. Assam and Meghalaya will also witness extremely heavy rainfall (>204.4 mm) between June 15 and 18.
Teesta river floods due to cloudburst 23 army personnel missing
A sudden cloudburst in #NorthSikkim has caused flooding in the Teesta River in the Lachen Valley. It has been reported that 23 army personnel are missing in this flood.
#SaamanaOnline #TeestaRiver #CloudBurst pic.twitter.com/sP4ZtOpQv6
— (Hath Ne Badl Diye Halat) (@IamMitesh86) October 7, 2023
A thunderstorm alert has also been issued for the north-western districts of Bihar and Jharkhand. While the rainfall will provide some relief, IMD has warned of heat-wave-like conditions that will prevail in the absence of rain over the course of next week.
India’s Changing Weather Patterns Suggest a Climate Disaster
The summer of 2024 has been the hottest on IMD’s lifetime record since the 1990’s. With extensive heatwave spells plaguing the nation since early May, death by heat has become an increasingly observed trend across the metropolises of India.
The rise in ocean temperatures has led to frequent El Nino events across the Bay of Bengal, causing significant disruption to India’s usual weather patterns. Climate scientists warn that as the years go by, these extreme weather events will become deadlier and more frequent.
The overall warming trend will also fuel catastrophic cyclonic formations that will devastate India’s northern coastlines in the upcoming years. With the rise of urbanization, residents of India’s concrete utopias will face water and power shortages that will further strain resources for semi-rural and semi-urban regions of the country.
Unless the government takes decisive action to prevent future climate disasters, global warming and climate change will likely affect over 80% of Indian households by the 2050s.
