IMD Issues Red, Orange Alerts as Heavy Rain Batters Parts of Assam

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for today (May 30) was spot-on, and it has been raining heavily since last night in many parts of the state, including Guwahati city, which has been reeling under flash floods throughout the day.

Today, the IMD has again issued a Red alert for six Lower Assam districts and an Orange alert for three Lower Assam districts for May 31. Moreover, an Orange alert is in place in three districts for June 1.

On Friday afternoon, the IMD’s Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) at Guwahati issued a special weather bulletin with a warning of heavy, very heavy & extremely heavy rainfall for Assam till June 1.

Regarding the current meteorological conditions, the RMC says, “The depression over Bangladesh moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 18 kmph during the past 6 hours and lay centred at 8.30 am today, May 30, 2025, over Bangladesh near latitude 24.4°N and longitude 89.6°E, about 40 km west-northwest of Tangail (Bangladesh), 110 km northwest of Dhaka (Bangladesh), 140 km north of Berhampore (India) and 260 km west-southwest of Shillong (India). It is very likely to continue to move nearly north-northeastwards and weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area during the next 12 hours.”

Under the influence of the above synoptic condition, the RMC bulletin says, “Heavy to very heavy rain at a few places with extremely heavy rain at isolated places along with thunderstorms and lightning, and gusty wind at a speed of 30-40 kmph on May 31, 2025, and heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places along with thunderstorms and lightning and gusty wind at a speed of 30-40 kmph on June 1, 2025.”

The district-wise forecast for May 31 reads, “Heavy (7-11 cm in 24 hrs) to very heavy rain (12-20 cm in 24 hrs) is very likely to occur at a few places with isolated extremely heavy rainfall (21 cm & more in 24 hrs) over the districts of Chirang , Baksa, Barpeta, Bajali, Bongaigaon, and Tamulpur, accompanied with thunderstorm and lightning along with gusty wind at speed 30-40 kmph”. A Red alert has been issued for the six districts named above.”

For May 31, the RMC has also predicted heavy (7-11 cm in 24 hours) to very heavy rain (12-20 cm in 24 hours) as very likely to occur at isolated places over the districts of Nalbari, Darrang, and Udalguri, accompanied by thunderstorm and lightning along with gusty wind at a speed of 30-40 kmph. The Orange alert is in place for the three districts named.

So far, there is no Red alert for June 1, but an Orange alert has been issued with a prediction of heavy (7-11 cm in 24 hrs) to very heavy rain (12-20 cm in 24 hrs) in isolated places over the districts of Dhubri, South Salmara, and Sribhumi, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, along with gusty winds at a speed of 30-40 kmph.

The highest amount of rainfall in the last 24 hours was received at Silchar (district Cachar) with 15 cm, Umrangshu (district Dima Hasao) 15 cm, Khetri (district Kamrup Metro) 10 cm, Majuli (district Majuli) 10 cm, Borpathar (district Golaghat) 8 cm, Beki Rd Bridge (district Barpeta) 8 cm, Hatsingimari (district S. Salmara) 8 cm, and Kollongpar (district Kamrup M) 8 cm. Sonapur and Chandrapur on the outskirts of Guwahati (dist Kamrup M) received 7 cm of rainfall each.

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