Guwahati/Agartala, Oct 17: Durga Puja celebrations across most parts of the Northeast are likely to remain largely rain-free till Vijaya Dashami on October 21, with dry weather forecast across the region.
A senior India Meteorological Department (IMD) official on Friday said dry weather was very likely to prevail across all eight Northeastern states, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura, over the coming days, although light rainfall could occur at isolated places.
The maximum temperature is expected to remain 2-4 degrees Celsius above normal over the next five days, while minimum temperatures are likely to stay near normal, the official said.
The forecast is expected to bring relief to devotees visiting Puja pandals and participating in religious and cultural programmes during the five-day festivities, which began on Friday amid colourful decorations, elaborate pandals and celebrations across the region.
Meanwhile, the Southwest monsoon has withdrawn from the entire Northeastern region as of October 15, close to its normal withdrawal date, according to IMD officials.
“Last year (2025), the Southwest monsoon withdrew from the entire Northeastern region on October 14,” a senior IMD official said.
The withdrawal marks the end of this year's monsoon season in the region, paving the way for a gradual transition towards cooler weather in the coming weeks.
Although winter conditions are likely to become more noticeable towards the latter part of November, both maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to gradually decline from now onwards, the official said.
The Southwest monsoon advanced into substantial parts of the Northeast on June 7, two days later than its normal onset date, and covered the entire region by June 10, marking the beginning of the four-month rainy season.
Despite the monsoon covering all eight states by June 10, the region recorded a 26% deficit in average rainfall during the June-September period, IMD officials at the Meteorological Centres in Guwahati and Agartala said.
The largely dry forecast for the Puja period comes as the region moves out of the monsoon season, with temperatures expected to gradually ease in the weeks ahead.
IANS