Heavy rain, hailstorm lash Kohima

Heavy rain accompanied by hailstones and a thunderstorm lashed the state capital Kohima on Monday, bringing a dramatic and sudden plunge in temperatures and temporarily disrupting normal life across the state capital.
The intense downpour arrived after dark clouds rapidly built up over the surrounding hills during the morning hours. The mercury, which had hovered around a pleasant 25°C earlier in the day, dropped sharply to approximately 16°C by evening, ushering in noticeably chilly conditions throughout the city. The abrupt shift followed an unusually warm spell over the weekend. On Saturday, Kohima experienced early summer-like heat, with temperatures climbing steadily to around 35°C—well above the typical early-March range for the region.
Residents were taken by surprise as dense clouds gathered quickly, followed by intense rainfall, thunder, and hail in several localities. Hailstones, roughly the size of marbles, pelted parts of the city, prompting many people to stay indoors while the storm raged.
Strong gusty winds, reaching speeds of up to about 19 kmph, further intensified the conditions.
The heavy cloud cover and rainfall significantly cooled the atmosphere, while indoor relative humidity levels fluctuated between 65% and 75% throughout the day.
Meteorological patterns indicate that such sudden weather shifts are typical during March, when Nagaland begins transitioning from the dry winter season to the pre-monsoon period.
Warm daytime temperatures combine with rising atmospheric moisture, frequently triggering convective thunderstorms, lightning, and occasional hail—especially in the hill districts.
In the past, Kohima usually records average daytime temperatures of 24–26°C in March, with nighttime lows between 11°C and 14°C. The month also sees a gradual increase in rainfall, with normal precipitation of around 100–120 mm spread over several rainy days.
Weather forecasts indicate that cloudy skies and intermittent thunderstorms are likely to continue over the next few days.
Daytime temperatures are expected to remain in the low-to-mid-20s°C, with cooler evenings persisting due to increased cloud cover and moisture.
While Monday’s rainfall and hail were brief but severe, they provided relief from the preceding high temperatures and signalled the gradual onset of Nagaland’s pre-monsoon weather pattern—typically marked by sudden showers, gusty winds, and occasional hailstorms.