Guwahati records highest-ever May rainfall at 111 mm, IMD rules out abnormality
Satellite data from the North Eastern Space Application Centre reveals increasing urban flood vulnerability due to rapid urbanization, poor drainage, and encroachment.;
Heavy rainfall in the last three days inundated many parts in Guwahati (Photo: @ChinmoyZenith / X)
Guwahati, June 1: Guwahati may have recorded the highest-ever 24-hour rainfall on May 31, but weather scientists say there was nothing abnormal about it.
The conventional observatory near airport (Guwahati AP AWS)-which records the official rainfall for the city reported 111 mm rainfall in the 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Saturday. This is the highest ever May day rains in the city. The second highest was 99.6 recorded on May 20 this year, which had broken the previous record of 96.8 mm (1958).
However, Guwahati, in the past had seen days of much heavier rainfall.
The all-time highest 24-hour rainfall in the city was 194.3 mm, recorded on June 5, 1956. There had been several instances of extremely heavy rainfall 179.6 mm (1985), 173.7 (1953), 169.4 mm (2011), 162 mm (1956).
In the last 24 hours, while Sohra and Mawsynrum saw over 470 mm rainfall, places in Assam like Chauldhowaghat, Tezpur and North Lakhimpur saw extremely heavy rains - over 150 mm.
"There was nothing abnormal about May 30 rains. It was because of the depression which now has weakened into a low pressure area in northeast Assam and neighbourhood, and has become less marked. Rainfall intensity will gradually decrease," an IMD official said.
A satellite mapping of the May 20 inundation was done by North Eastern Space Ap-plication Centre, which showed 22.18 hectares in Dispur circle and 33.69 hectares in Guwahati circle were un-der waters after the 99.6 mm rainfall that day. In Azara, 22.49 hectares were inundated.
"The inundation under-scores the growing challenge of urban flooding in Guwahati. Rapid urbanization, poor drainage, and encroachments on natural water bodies have made the city increasingly vulnerable to waterlogging and flash floods during heavy rainfall events," the centre based at Umiam, Meghalaya said in a report.
"In contrast, areas like Sipajhar and Sonapur circles witnessed minimal impact, with less than 0.1 hectares flooded. This data is crucial for developing targeted flood management strategies, particularly to address the rising frequency of urban floods in Guwahati Metropolitan area," the report added.