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Thejoto Nienu
Kohima, July 13 (EMN): Global warming is real. Several parts of Nagaland are experiencing severe heatwave over the past few days as temperature continues to soar, after receiving a major spell of pre-monsoon rain.
Dimapur recorded 33 degree Celsius and 86 percent humidity earlier this week, and it shot up to 37 degree Celsius (85% humidity) on Thursday, while Kohima recorded 26 degree Celsius (29.6 degree Celsius according IMD) and 87% humidity on the same day.
The temperature in New Delhi on Thursday was 31 degree Celsius (74% humidity) with rains bringing down the mercury level after experiencing hottest June in three years with a mean maximum temperature of 40.4 degrees Celsius. A study by the Urban Lab of Centre for Science and Environment has revealed that 2016 records as the second hottest pre-monsoon season in the country has been overtaken this year.
Nagaland is also witnessing extreme weather condition with the mercury level continuing to rise despite receiving adequate rainfall unlike last couple of years.
The Joint Director and State Nodal Officer for Meteorology, Soil and Water Conservation, Government of Nagaland, Rongsenlemzung, told Eastern Mirror that the state has received more rainfall this year than last year, while exuding hope of receiving more spell in the days to come.
According to the annual rainfall data furnished to this newspaper by the department of Soil and Water Conservation, the annual average rainfall recorded in 2021 was 1305.218 mm, which was the lowest in a decade -- from 2012 to 2021. The state recorded highest rainfall in 2017 with 1838.265 mm during the 10-year period, but it was still lower than the annual rainfall of 2878.10 mm recorded in Wokha district in 2007, which is said to be the highest in the state till date.
Almost all the meteorological observatories in the state showed that the rainfall received till June this year is more than that of 2021 and has surpassed the halfway mark of last year’s annual record.
Annual rainfall in Nagaland till June, 2022
| Observatory place |
| Annual rainfall (till June, 2022) in mm |
| No. of days of precipitation |
| No. of rainy days |
| 2021 Annual Average Rainfall in mm |
| Kohima | 493.1 | 51 | 42 | 1105.1 |
| Wokha | 946.6 | 58 | 51 | 1955.8 |
| Mokokchung | 779.8 | 75 | 54 | 1929 |
| Zunheboto | 756.6 | 56 | 50 | 1276.8 |
| Tuensang | 519.8 | 59 | 46 | 2234 |
| Mon | 231.2 | 35 | 24 | 1391 |
| Dimapur | 615.8 | 36 | 26 | 1140.6 |
| Phek | 428.0 | 46 | 38 | 838.6 |
| Kiphire | 383.8 | 61 | 39 | 730.2 |
| Jalukie | 615.3 | 43 | 34 | 1353.5 |
| Tseminyu | 620.9 | 80 | 49 | 1455.6 |
| Sechu | 639.5 | 63 | 45 | 1153.4 |
| Meluri | 260.3 | 30 | 23 | 1022.9 |
| Mangkonglemba | 656.1 | 56 | 44 | 1617.9 |
| Bhandari | 386.6 | 29 | 29 | 1184.6 |
| Shamator | 550.4 | 75 | 50 | 1043.7 |
| Longleng | 338.0 | 61 | 44 | 756 |
It may be mentioned that there are 17 meteorological observatories in Nagaland, namely: Kohima at an altitude of 1420 MSL (Mean Sea Level); Dimapur – 160 MSL; Wokha - 1360; Mokokchung - 11360; Zunheboto - 1780; Tuensang - 1633; Mon - 734; Phek - 1360; Kiphire - 1195; Jalukie - 415; Tseminyu - 1200; Sechü - 1094; Meluri - 1350; Mangkolemba - 661; Bhandari - 703; Shamator – 1768, and Longleng - 1200.
This year, the meteorological observatory at Mokokchung recorded the highest rainfall in a single day on April 10 with 116.0 mm, while Wokha received the highest rainfall in the month of June with 503.0 mm, followed by Zunheboto with 484.4 mm, and Shamator 369.2 mm, according to the data provided to this newspaper.
People in several parts of the country, including Nagaland are reeling under an erratic weather condition with severe heatwave on one hand and heavy rainfall on the other, but experts are not surprised by these events. They say it is a global phenomenon, a result of global warming.
‘Phenomenal effects of Global warming is felt all over the world, which is not particularly restricted to the region; a global phenomenal which we are witnessing, gradual rise in the extreme temperature – as winter becomes a bit colder in some places, and in summer, we are witnessing a rise in temperature,’ said Supongnukshi, Chief Conservator of Forest and State Nodal officer for Climate Change, Nagaland.
‘This is a global phenomenon, the effect of that is also being felt in the state. We are also witnessing extreme climate with early arrival of monsoon,’ he said while pointing out that ‘these are the after effects of global issues and global phenomena where a lot of different factors are involved, like increase in pollution which causes global atmospheric temperature to rise, which is also called the greenhouse effect’.
He said Nagaland is also no stranger to various factors like pollution that are associated with global warming and the state is a recipient of ‘changing climatic pattern’.
The officer asserted that this change in climatic pattern will affect the livelihood of the people and agricultural production will become unpredictable.