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Guwahati, Jun 17 (PTI) With the prediction of extreme heavy rainfall along with thunderstorms and lightning in Assam and Meghalaya over the next two days, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a 'red alert' for the two states asking the respective state governments to ensure the safety of people, an official statement said on Tuesday.

The 'red alert' will be in force on Wednesday and Thursday while on Friday, an 'orange alert' has been issued for both the states.

The weather pattern suggests that heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely at isolated places in various districts of the state for the next few days which may aggravate water-logging, slow vehicular movement, and increase the risk of localised landslides in vulnerable pockets, according to the release issued by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).

'Red alert' indicates "take action" and 'orange alert' "be prepared to take action" for authorities.

The local authorities are closely monitoring the situation and emergency response systems are being kept on alert.

In view of the alert and also recent incidents of flood, landslides and water-logging due to very heavy rainfall that occurred recently, ASDMA requested all to take all necessary precautions and remain vigilant.

Daily commuters and long-distance travellers were requested to plan their routines accordingly, avoiding unnecessary movement during periods of intense rainfall.

Residents in low-lying and hillside areas should stay alert for any signs of flooding or landslides, it said.

Residents in vulnerable areas were further advised to keep adequate stock of essential items such as medicines, candles etc.

The people living in the identified landslide prone vulnerable areas of the state were advised to shift to safe shelters (relief camps) or other safer places of their choice for the next three days.

People were also urged to stay tuned to official weather updates and follow advisories issued by local authorities to ensure safety during this spell of rain.

The status of the situation would be updated by ASDMA from time to time for general awareness, the statement added. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)