Silchar, Assam’s second largest city, witnessed an unprecedented deluge on Sunday, receiving 415.8 mm of rainfall in 24 hours — the highest daily total since records began in 1893. This breaks the previous 132-year-old record of 290.3 mm rainfall in a single day.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed the heavy rainfall to a combination of upper-air cyclonic circulations and low-level troughs. “A particularly intense zone of activity stretches from central Assam to Arunachal Pradesh, linked to a trough extending from East Uttar Pradesh,” the IMD stated.
Silchar had previously endured severe flooding in 2022, when a breach in the Barak River dyke at Bethkundi submerged 90 percent of the town, located just one kilometre away.
The impact of the recent rain fury extends across the Northeast, with at least 34 fatalities reported over the last three days due to floods and landslides in Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and other states.
Also read: Over 4 lakh affected as Assam flood toll climbs to 10
Mizoram recorded rainfall levels 1,102 per cent above normal on May 31, while Meghalaya experienced heavy rain over five days from May 28 to June 1. Notably, Sohra (Cherrapunjee) and Mawsynram reported cumulative rain totals of 796 mm and 774.5 mm respectively during this period.
Other districts including Khliehriat, Ramakrishna Mission (RKM) Sohra, and Pynursla also reported rainfall exceeding 500 mm in cumulative totals.
RKM Sohra recorded its highest single-day downpour on May 30 with 378.4 mm of rain, contributing to a five-day total of 993.6 mm. Mawsynram and Pynursla witnessed peak rainfall exceeding 250 mm on the same day.
Flash floods and landslides have affected ten districts in Meghalaya, while over 10,000 residents have been impacted by floods in Tripura.
Manipur has seen more than 19,000 people affected and 3,365 houses damaged due to floods caused by overflowing rivers and breaches in embankments.
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