Fierce winds sweep across valley, destroy over 30 houses
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, May 23, 2011: Fierce winds accompanied by heavy rains swept across the valley areas of the state and damaged over 30 houses today.

Most of the houses were seriously damaged by the strong winds that swept at 40 kph with spiralling movements.

Besides damaging houses, the forceful winds also brought down a number of trees, disrupted the electricity network serving many homes and destroyed vegetable crops, reports said.

However, no human casualties were reported as a result of the sudden eruption of the powerful winds.

Reports said that the lashing winds that blew at Telou Chana of Lamlai area in Imphal East district blew off at least seven houses and some of them were flattened to the ground.

It also damaged roofs of more than 20 houses including kitchens and Sangois.

In Bishnupur district as many as five houses were blown away and roofs of some houses were also damaged by the fierce winds that swept this afternoon.

One house in Thoubal district which were ravaged by fierce winds on Monday

Our Thoubal correspondent added that the strong winds that swept Kakching and its surrounding areas in Thoubal district damaged over 10 houses.

The winds picked up speed around 1.30 pm.

It blew off the roof of one N Kokngang at Kakching Wangma Taba, the sangoi of Kshetrimayum Gouro which was being used as a house by his son in-law.

One house at Kakching Leithangol belonging to Ksh Ranjit was blown off and dumped at the courtyard of another house around 60 metre away after crossing two houses.

The roof of another house in the same locality, belonging to one Nongmaithem Pritam, was also damaged by the winds.

The GI-sheet roof of the house was blown away and dumped 30 metre away from the original place.

Roofs of a bus stand at Kakching Makha Leikai, two houses at Kakching Irum Mapal were also blown away by the strong winds.

The winds that swept Pallel damaged a community hall at Pallel Thong Wangma and the house of one Anem Kom at Santhak Khunou apart from rooting out trees and electric posts in the area.

Meanwhile, India Meteorological Department (IMD) had already predicted an expansive pre-monsoon rainfall in east India and the northeast as a tremendous moisture transport is being facilitated from nearby Bay of Bengal.

The IMD weather update said that fairly widespread rainfall is likely to occur in the northeastern states including Sikkim in the next few days.

It also said that the upper air cyclonic circulation over Assam, and the neighbourhood in lower levels persists.

Fairly widespread rain or thundershowers will occur over NE states and West Bengal and Sikkim and scattered over the rest of eastern India.