A spell of severe weather across parts of Northeast India claimed one life, injured another, and transformed several hill towns into landscapes resembling a winter wonderland.
In Assam’s Morigaon district, a man identified as Moniram Deka died after being struck by lightning while harvesting sali paddy in a field at Katohjari village. He was rushed to Morigaon Civil Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. In a separate incident, Malavika Patar of Gorjan Gagalmari sustained serious injuries after lightning struck while she was taking shelter from sudden rainfall on the veranda of a shop. Her condition was not immediately known.
Meanwhile, an intense hailstorm blanketed Haflong, the scenic hill town of Assam’s Dima Hasao district, with a thick layer of white hailstones, creating a striking snow-like landscape. Roads, open spaces and surrounding hills were covered in white, drawing attention from residents and visitors alike.
A similar weather phenomenon was witnessed in Meghalaya’s capital Shillong, where heavy rainfall accompanied by hailstorm activity turned parts of the city white on November 11. The hailstorm, which lasted for nearly an hour between late morning and noon, covered roads, footpaths, rooftops and open areas with hailstones, creating scenes reminiscent of snowfall in Kashmir. Residents and tourists captured the rare spectacle on their mobile phones as temperatures dropped and a noticeable chill spread across the city.
The unusual weather also affected agriculture in parts of Meghalaya, with reports of damage to crops following the hailstorm and heavy rainfall. However, the extent of the damage is yet to be assessed.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy rainfall at isolated places in Assam and Mizoram, along with thunderstorms and lightning across several northeastern states. Light to moderate rain and thundershowers are expected over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura. Meghalaya may also experience isolated hailstorms accompanied by lightning.
According to meteorologists, the prevailing weather is being influenced by upper-air cyclonic circulations over central Assam and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal-Sikkim, along with a trough extending towards the northwest Bay of Bengal. While unsettled weather is expected to continue in the short term, conditions are likely to improve gradually over the coming days, with dry weather forecast across most parts of the Northeast by the weekend. However, shallow to moderate fog may persist in isolated areas of Assam and Meghalaya.