IMD issues red alert for Assam, Meghalaya, predicts very heavy rainfall from May 26-28

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New Delhi: A red-colour coded weather alert has been issued for Assam and Meghalaya from May 26-28, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday, predicting very heavy rainfall in these two northeastern states.

Sathi Devi, head of the IMD's national weather forecasting centre, said there is a strong flow of south-westerly winds from the Bay of Bengal, bringing a lot of moisture to these two states.

This is aided by the orographic factors of these two states that will bring in very heavy rainfall, she added.

The IMD said rainfall is likely at most places, with heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places. A few isolated will also receive extremely heavy falls, it added.

"Red-colour coded warning has been issued to Assam and Meghalaya for the next three days," IMD director general Mrurunjay Mohapatra said.

He added that northeast India gets maximum rainfall in June, followed by May.

Meanwhile, the advancement of the monsoon which was hindered by super cyclonic storm Amphan will start from Wednesday, Devi said. She added that the monsoon will start moving ahead in other parts of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago and Bay of Bengal from Wednesday.

According to the IMD, the monsoon is likely to hit Kerala on June 5, four days after its normal onset date.

A low-pressure area is also building up in the Arabian Sea from May 30, Mohapatra said. A low-pressure area is the first stage of any cyclone. However, it is not necessary that every low-pressure area intensifies into a cyclone.

The IMD has also cautioned fishermen along the coasts of Kerala, Karnataka not to venture out for deep sea fishing from May 30-June 4.