Monsoon on its way out,but not before showers

GUWAHATI: After triggering multiple flood waves and landslides for four months between June and September and leaving behind a trail of death and destruction, the southwest monsoon is finally on its way out of the region, with the last of this year's showers likely to occur over the next few days.

The Met department reported that available data indicate that the southwest monsoon has further withdrawn from remaining parts of Assam and Meghalaya, all of Arunachal Pradesh and some parts of Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

The department has forecast that rain or thundershowers are very likely to occur at isolated places over Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura and the weather is most likely to remain dry over Arunachal Pradesh during the next 24 hours.

According to the Met department, the Arunachal Pradesh meteorology sub-division received excess rainfall only on June 7 and deficit rainfall on June 23 and August 2. During the rest of the period, the state received normal rainfall.

Assam and Meghalaya meteorology sub-divisions also received normal rainfall during the period but Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura meteorology sub-divisions received excess to large excess rainfall during most of the monsoon season.

The southwest monsoon rainfall over the country this year was 95% of its long period average while it was 96% in the northeast region.

The northwest received 90%, central India 94% and the southern peninsula received 100% of the long period average rainfall.

The southwest monsoon reached parts of southeast Bay of Bengal, south Andaman Sea and Nicobar Islands on May 14, six days ahead of its normal date. It further advanced into some more parts of northeast Bay of Bengal, remaining parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and most parts of Tripura and Assam and Meghalaya on June 2.

This year, floods claimed more than 100 lives in Assam, three in Manipur and two in Nagaland while landslides in Arunachal claimed 14 lives. A large number of wildlife also perished in Assam floods.