A Bhutia selling woollen goods in Guwahati. Picture by UB Photos

Nov. 12: November rain heralded the onset of winter in most parts of the region, with a fast-moving depression that originated down south causing the mercury to plummet unexpectedly.

The Assam capital, Guwahati, wore a veil of heavy mist, with a daylong drizzle creating cold conditions.

In Shillong and other towns of Meghalaya, temperatures dropped to a minimum of 11.1 degrees Celsius, while heavy and continuous downpour at almost all places in Tripura resulted in a flood-like situation in many parts.

The meteorological office in the Meghalaya capital, where it has been steadily pouring for the past 12 hours, recorded rainfall of 14.4 mm.

Shillongites huddled around fireplaces, shutting themselves indoors. In the plains, too, people rushed for woollen cover, preparing themselves for the winter.

According to the meteorological office in Guwahati, the rain is a “temporary phenomenon”, the result of a low pressure in the Bay of Bengal.

Yesterday’s deep depression over the Andhra Pradesh coast had intensified into a “severe cyclonic storm” over the west coastal bay and was moving in the north-northeasterly direction.

It is expected to run up to west Assam, across Gangetic West Bengal and Bangladesh before weakening.

“Such a fast movement of a cyclonic storm is rare. As long it is at the sea level, rainfall and wind speed will increase,” D. Sinha, director of the Regional Meteorological Office in Guwahati said.

“Some impact of the depression could be seen in Cherrapunji. There has already been some impact in south Assam, Mizoram and in some areas of Nagaland,” the official said.

Wind speed, measuring over 60 km per hour, could also be experienced in Meghalaya, Mizoram and the Barak basin.

“Although there is no cause for alarm, landslides may take place in some areas,” Sinha cautioned.

In Tripura, continuous rainfall over the past 24 hours took its toll, with many parts of the state going under water. According to the meteorological office in Agartala, more than 100 mm of rainfall was recorded in the state. Normal life in the Tripura capital was thrown out of gear with flash floods in many areas.