A low-intensity tornado struck Assam's Barpeta district today, taking the residents by surprise. Several residents shared photos and videos of the swirling column of air carrying dust and debris.
“A low-intensity tornado hit Chenga district in Assam's Barpeta on Saturday. It is not a cyclone,” Sanjay O'Neill Shaw, Deputy Director-General of Meteorology at the Regional Meteorological Centre in Guwahati, told EastMojo.
The tornado was captured on camera tearing across the village. The tornado, a rare occurrence in these parts, is seen uprooting paddy and some huts in the video.
Four houses and three other establishments were damaged in some villages under Chenga revenue circle, an Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) bulletin said. An assessment of further losses caused by the storm will be carried out.
The northeastern state has been receiving heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms since the beginning of April. At least 18 people died in the state due to lightning or the storms last month. However, the rainfall averages for some of these states are still well below the season's average precipitation.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert in Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Sikkim, Jharkhand and Odisha. The yellow alert is a watch-out notice for isolated heavy rains.
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