New Delhi, 15 Jun (PTI): As monsoon rain pummelled the Northeast, Cherrapunji in Meghalaya recorded a massive 811.6 mm of rainfall in 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Wednesday, the highest in June since 1995, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
At an aerial distance of 10 km from Cherrapunji, Mawsynram, the wettest place in India, gauged 710.6 mm of rainfall in the same period, the maximum since June 1966.
One of the wettest places in the world, Cherrapunji has recorded more than 750 mm of precipitation on a June day on 10 occasions since the IMD started keeping records, the IMD data showed.
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.
On June 10, 1966, Mawsynram had recorded 717.6 mm of rainfall. On June 7, 1966, it had received 944.7 mm of precipitation, the highest on a June day since the IMD began maintaining records.
The town had gauged a 24-hour rainfall of 623.4 mm on June 8, 2015.
“Mawsynram is at present the wettest place in India, with an average annual rainfall of 11802.4 mm (average of the 1974-2022 period). Cherrapunji receives 11359.4 mm of rainfall in a year (average of the 1971-2020 period),” Sunit Das, Scientist E at IMD’s regional centre in Guwahati told PTI.
The Met office said the southwest monsoon further advanced into more parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday.
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.
“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,” it said.
Cases against over 200 people for protest against supporters of Nupur Sharma
Thane, Jun 15 (PTI) The Bhiwandi police have registered two cases against more than 200 people for alleged unlawful assembly to protest against supporters of BJP functionary Nupur Sharma, who was recently suspended by the party over her derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad, officials said.
On June 12, several people gathered at a spot in Bhiwandi town here in Maharashtra, leading to a tense situation.
Some of them had also marched to the houses two persons – Mukesh Baburam Chavan and Saad Ansari- and protested against their posts on social media showing support to Sharma, police said.
Some of the protesters had also allegedly hit Ansari, they said, adding that Chavan and Ansari were subsequently taken into custody.
On June 13, the Bhoiwada police in Bhiwandi registered a case against 150 people and the Narpoli police registered a case against nearly 65 people, officials said.
The cases were registered under Indian Penal Code Sections 141,143 (unlawful assembly), 322, 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation), they said.
No arrest has been made so far in this connection, the police said.
After tension in the town on June 12, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone II, Bhiwandi, Yogesh Chavan had appealed to citizens not to believe in rumours and help the police maintain peace and law and order.
The Narpoli police had also asked administrators of WhatsApp groups to desist from forwarding objectionable posts on the social media platform. PTI