GUWAHATI: Mawsynram in Meghalaya on Friday recorded the highest all-time single-day rainfall in the month of June.
At 1,003.6 mm, it eclipsed the previous highest rainfall of 945.4 mm recorded on June 7, 1966, the Guwahati-based Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) said.
Similarly, neighbouring Cherrapunjee on Friday recorded the third highest rainfall of 972 mm in the month of June. The all-time highest rainfall (1,563.3 mm) was recorded on June 16, 1995 and the all-time second highest (973.8 mm) rainfall was recorded on June 5, 1956.
According to the RMC, higher rainfall at Mawsynram than at Cherrapunjee can be attributed to the fact that the former has a higher elevation and is located on the crest of a hill range on the edge of narrow valley opening towards the south.
This is the reason why higher annual rainfall might perhaps be occurring at other nearby locations placed in orographic positions ever more favourable for higher rain. A meso-scale rain gauge network in this area could bring to light some very interesting features of rainfall distribution, the RMC added.
Meanwhile, India reportedly has 32% deficit in monsoon rainfall in the first 15 days of the season that started on June 1. Similarly, a 60% deficit of Southwest monsoon has been reported in Kerala for the first 15 days of June.