Manipur: Hailstorms and thunderstorms in state result of climate change, says environmentalist Rajesh Salam

Environmentalist Rajesh Salam said that the hailstorms and thunderstorms which were witnessed in many valleys of Manipur on May 5 were unprecedented and occurred after over half a century. 

He stated that in the hilly areas of Manipur, these kind of thunderstorms and hailstorms do not take place quite often, also given that some were recently also reported in a few areas of Senapati district. However, the activity has not been witnessed in the valleys for many years which makes it a result of climate change. 

The intensity of the rainfall was so high that the amount of rain in one hour is equivalent to three days of continuous rainfall in normal climatic conditions. The amount of rainfall and its intensity along the speed of thunderstorms is one of the rarest of rare cases to have happened in the state. 

Salam also said that scientists of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore have already predicted that the North Eastern regions will face extreme weather conditions due to the increase of sea surface temperature in Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, along with the rise of land surface temperature. 

Meanwhile, the rising temperatures on the land and sea surfaces will lead to a change in the rainfall patterns, leading to extreme weather phenomenon.