Guwahati: Assam and Arunachal Pradesh recorded deficient monsoon rainfall despite widespread flooding across the northeast.The contradiction was also evident in upper Assam, where Sivasagar, Golaghat and Jorhat — three of the four districts worst hit by floods over the past two months — recorded below-normal rainfall.“Due to the El Nino impact, overall there has been deficit rainfall in the northeast. The monsoon driving force that has gone to the northeast has been comparatively weaker in the northeast because of the El Nino impact,” said KN Mohan, senior scientist at the IMD.IMD data showed that between June 1 and Sept 1, Assam received 922.8 mm of rain, 24% below normal, while Arunachal recorded 809.8 mm, a 39% deficit. Meghalaya received 934.2 mm, 58% below normal, and Manipur 494.1 mm, a 42% deficit.Mizoram and Tripura remained in the normal category despite deficits of 18% and 12%, recording 1,047.4 mm and 1,009.1 mm, respectively. Nagaland recorded 898.1 mm, 7% above normal.Eighteen of Assam’s 35 districts received below-normal rainfall.Among the worst-hit upper Assam districts, Golaghat recorded the sharpest deficit at 52%, receiving 517.4 mm. Sivasagar received 697 mm, 28% below normal, and Jorhat 1,400.8 mm, 22% below normal. Charaideo was the only exception, recording 1,940 mm — 16% above normal.Flash floods first struck Nagaland-bordering areas on July 19.
