Climate
Location: Umananda Temple, Guwahati, Assam, Source: Directorate of Tourism, Govt. of Assam
CLIMATE IN ASSAM
Assam at present consists of two hill districts and twenty one plain districts. The climate of the hills is generally salubrious while that of the plains is comparatively warm in summer but cool in winter. Accordingly,the climate of Assam is characterised by alternate cool and warm periods with a highly humidity,Especially from May to November. Between March and May at the time when precipitation in Northern India is at the minimum, Assam gets some amount of rainfall from the Norwesters which keep the temperature low in the season of spring. In the plains of Assam, the maximum temperature does not go beyond 90oF.or 32oC and in winter the plains of Assam have a minimum temperature of about 8oC or about 47oF.The climate of the plains and the sub-montane region becomes unpleasant,especially in the summer season. It happens to be so because of the extreme humidity which comes with the monsoon. In the plains of Assam,including the district of Cachar the temperatures in summer may be only about 32oC. But the humidity may be so high that one will perspire and feel very uneasy, especially during the period between two bouts of rainfall.
From the climatic point of view the year in Assam can broadly be divided in two, the cold season and the rainy season. However,there are two other short seasons namely spring and autumn representing the transition between cold and rainy seasons and that between rainy and cold seasons respectively.
From the middle of November to the middle of February the cold season prevails with the sky becoming clear and temperature going down below 15oC. Fogs also appear during these months, especially in the morning and evening but they disappear during the daytime. From March temperature begins to rise,dust,storms begin ti blow in western Assam and occasional Northwesters visit with thunderstroms. The showers of this period prevent the temperatures from rising and they settle down the unwanted dusts which appear in the air. Besides, they also help to make the vegetation green after the dry winter. After the short spring the south west monsoon bursts in the third week of June and rains continue to pour with short spells of drought. The atmosphere there becomes sultry and temperature stands at 30oC to 35oC. Towards late September,the rains peter out and temperature also decreases and the short autumn sets in,while the sky begins to become clear mists appear in the horizon. With the farther fall of temperature, winter sets in from late November.
There is a slight variation of climate from region to region within the State. For instance, the climate of the region covering Kamrup, Nalbari and Barpeta in west-central Assam is characterised by plentiful rains and foggy winter. The cold season in this region is from December to February and this is followed by the sand-storms and thunderstorms from March to May. The rainy season, as in rest of Assam begins in late June and continues upto late September. October and November constitute the post-monsoon period. In western Assam comprising the districts of Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar and Dhubri,the climate is intermediate between that of the North Bengal Plains and the west-central Assam Valley. In this region,the day temperatures in April and May are nearly the same as in the monsoon months. The climate of the Barak Valley districts is characterised by abundant rainfall, moderate temperatures and high humidity. The year may be divided into four seasons and the cold season is identical with Goalpara and Kamrup. The climate of the east central Assam comprising Darrang, Sonitpur, Marigaon and Nagaon is characterised by the absence of a dry hot summer season,the highest temperature being experienced during the period of south west monsoon along with abundant rains and a humid atmosphere throughout the year. The climate of the eastern Assam districts (Golaghat, Jorhat, Sibsagar, Tinsukia ,Dibrugarh, Dhemaji and Lakhimpur)is somewhat identical to Darrang and Nagaon with temperature remaining slightly lower than in the latter.
District wise Rainfall Data for last 5 years.
For more information on Climate in Assam visit:
ISBEID
India Meteorological Department
Regional Meteorological Centre, Guwahati
For Weather Information Dial Toll Free No. 1800 180 1717