Dibrugarh/Tinsukia (Assam), Dec. 27 (PTI): A massive hailstorm swept through several areas of upper Assam, damaging nearly 4,500 houses in four districts, officials said on Tuesday.
According to an Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) report, a total of 4,483 houses were damaged across 132 villages in Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar and Tinsukia districts.
Almost 18,000 people have been affected, and the families hit by the hailstorm were supplied with tarpaulin sheets, it said.
The severe hailstorm lashed the upper Assam areas late on Monday and early Tuesday, an official of the Dibrugarh district administration told PTI.
The ASDMA report said 4,481 houses were partially damaged, while two structures were completely destroyed.
A total of 3,009 houses were damaged in Charaideo, followed by Dibrugarh (1,232), Sivasagar (220) and Tinsukia (22), it said.
Several schools have also suffered damages along with crops in large areas of agricultural land in the hailstorm, a rare phenomenon in this part of the state during the winter season, officials said.
"Have instructed officials to make a detailed assessment of the damages caused. Government is extending all possible help to all those affected by it," Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted.
Meanwhile, the Regional Meteorological Centre in Guwahati issued a 'Yellow Alert' for the entire northeastern region, and said thunderstorms and lightning with hail are very likely to occur at isolated places over the seven states.
The RMC, in a bulletin, said light snow is also "very likely" to occur at isolated places in the upper reaches of Arunachal Pradesh during the next 24 hours.
"Light to moderate rain is very likely at a few places over the rest of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura," it said.
The bulletin, however, noted that night temperatures did not witness a large change over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura during the last 24 hours.