Meghalaya: Cherrapunji Records 3rd Highest Rainfall In 27 Years

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Cherrapunji in Meghalaya recorded a huge 972 mm of rain in 24 hours, the most in June since 1995, as monsoon rain pounded the northeast.

Cherrapunji, which is one of the wettest areas on the planet, has received more than 750 mm of rain on a June day on ten occasions since the IMD began keeping statistics, according to IMD data.

On June 16, 1995, the town nestled in the East Khasi Hills gauged 1563.3 mm of rainfall. A day before, on June 15, 1995, it received 930 mm of precipitation.

The southwest monsoon progressed further into Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and coastal Andhra Pradesh on wednesday according to the Met Office.

It said the ongoing spell of intense rainfall is likely to continue in the northeast and sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during the next five days.

It further said ''Under the influence of strong southwesterly winds from the Bay of Bengal in lower tropospheric levels and a trough in westerlies in middle tropospheric levels, isolated extremely heavy rainfall is likely over Arunachal Pradesh on June 15; over Assam and Meghalaya on June 15-16 and sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim till June 17.''