With Strong Winds, Dust Storm And Hail, Mizoram Turned Pitch Dark At Noon

Bizarre weather activity was seen in parts of Mizoram on Wednesday as the sky turned pitch black shortly after noon. Videos of slow traffic in darkness amid heavy hail and dust storms have been widely circulated on social media.

Dark Day in Mizoram 15 March, 2023 around noon.

Rapthlak #mizoram #aizawl #mizo #northeast pic.twitter.com/kFYqGWmMH2

— CHIKIM (Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi) (@ChinKuki) March 15, 2023

Local media reported that the storm began at around 1.30 pm with some areas witnessing rain and hail. Strong winds brought down branches and trees as well, reports claimed, with power lines also getting affected.

Northern districts of Mizoram were most affected, local media channel LPS Vision reported, adding that the state is expected to receive light rain till Sunday.

A Twitter user shared a video, allegedly taken at 1 pm today, with the caption, "We had heavy hailstones in some parts of Manipur too. Crazy weather."

Aizawl, Mizoram at 1:15 PM today. We had a short heavy hailstones in some parts of Manipur too. Crazy weather. pic.twitter.com/xj1Br8pJEl

— Imy Hanako (@GG_s0nic) March 15, 2023

Another video allegedly taken at around the same time showed heavy rainfall on a street illuminated solely by a streetlamp.

Today Mizoram weather 1pm#Mizoram pic.twitter.com/fCM4P5D4JN

— Pagin Haokip (@paaginhaokip) March 15, 2023

A user even recorded the time on his watch and showed traffic on an Aizawl road below an inky sky.

1:50Pm AfterNoon #Aizawl #Mizoram pic.twitter.com/RSTqmnpBq5

— Lal Chhan Dama Hauzel (@chdahauzel) March 15, 2023

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Mizoram with a forecast of rain and thunderstorms from March 15 to 17, adding that a fresh active western disturbance is likely to affect the northeastern region from March 16 onwards.

Skymet Weather has predicted a prolonged rainy spell of rain approaching northeast India. A Bay anticyclone is pumping moisture over Northeast India and the passage of systems from the Western Himalayas will be responsible for rains over these areas, Skymet Weather reported.