Meghalaya is witnessing heavy rains at many places but Sohra and Mawsynram have been receiving excessive rainfall of over 300 mm within a span of 24 hours, for the last four days.
As per records by the India Meteorology Department (IMD), Sohra received 190 mm rainfall in 24 hours till 8:30 am on April 1, 360 mm on April 2, barely 2.6 mm on April 3 and again, 150 mm till 8:30 am on April 4.
Similarly, a nearby weather station at Rama Krishna Mission, Khliehshnong, Sohra recorded 140 mm rainfall on April 1; 370 mm rains on April 2; barely 4.3 mm on April 3. The data for April 4 was not yet available.
Meanwhile, Mawsynram recorded 330 mm on April 1, 390 mm on April 2, barely 2.4 mm on April 3. The rainfall data for April 4 was not available.
The IMD also said that the extremely heavy rainfall in both Sohra and Mawsynram is normal during this pre-monsoon period. It also said there have been some exceptional days in the past when, in some cases, rainfall exceeded 400 mm in 24 hours.
The IMD terms rainfall between 64.5 to 115.5 mm as ‘Heavy Rain’; between 115.6 to 204.4 mm as ‘Very Heavy Rain’, and anything above 204.4 mm as ‘Extremely Heavy Rain’.
Most other areas in Meghalaya too have been receiving heavy rainfall. Till 8:30 am of April 4, Amlarem received 410 mm of rain, Mawkyrwat got 240 mm, Jowai got 200 mm and Mawphlang got 190 mm.
The IMD records have shown that Sohra has received as much as 644.2 mm rainfall in the pre-monsoon season on April 16, 1990. In recent times, it was 420 mm on April 24, 2016 and 330 mm on April 27, 2017.
