Monsoon yet to arrive in Cherrapunji

Shillong, June 26: The monsoon has arrived early in India this year, having a disastrous effect on the northern part of the country. While the state of Uttarakhand has almost been washed away by the flash floods, the wettest villages of the world are still dry. Cherrapunji and Mawsynram have been competing with each other to win the crown of the wettest planet on Earth, but not anymore. In fact, the duo are yet to witness any rainfall.

"It has been very unusual this year. The clouds are there, but no rains," said Denis Rayen, who owns the Cherrapunji Holiday Resort and has lived here for 15 years.Two of the most picturesque destinations in the world, they have been attracting tourists from all parts of the globe. "People come here to enjoy the rains and the splendid beauty that the nature has to offer, but things have been otherwise this year," adds Rayen.

Weather experts say that heavy rains in the northwestern part of India was caused due to weather disturbance. In addition to this, a low pressure moved in from the Bay of Bengal. Stating another reason, relating to the flash floods in Uttarakhand, the Met department justifies that the intensity of rains over the central HImalays has drawn all the moisture away from Manipur., leaving it drier than normal.

Situated in Meghalaya or the 'land of crowds', Cherrapunji is the second wettest destination in the world (with 11,430 millimeters of rainfall per year), after Mawsynram (with 11,873 millimeters of rains per year).

OneIndia News