NT Reporter
Panaji
An unusually hot and humid spell tightened its grip over Goa, with Panaji recording a scorching 33.5°C, 4.1°C above normal on Tuesday, making it the second-highest maximum temperature recorded during July in the last
15 years.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the last time Panaji touched 33.5°C in July was on July 1, 2014, underlining the unusual warmth during what is climatologically Goa’s wettest month.
The long-term mean maximum temperature for July is only 29.4°C, indicating that Monday’s reading was 4.1°C above the monthly average. The heat has intensified since July 11, as the southwest monsoon weakened over the state. Maximum temperatures have consistently remained above normal, while warm nights have added to the discomfort.
On Monday, Panaji recorded a minimum temperature of 27.4°C, 3.1°C above normal, while Mormugao registered 32.8°C and 27.6°C, with departures of 3.5°C and 3.3°C, respectively.
The prevailing hot and humid conditions are a direct consequence of subdued rainfall and increased sunshine over the past week.
The sluggish monsoon has also widened Goa’s rainfall deficit. The state’s cumulative rainfall from June 1 to July 14 stood at 908 mm against the normal 1,388.7 mm, leaving a 34.6 per cent deficit, compared with about 24.7 per cent on July 8. The IMD’s daily rainfall graph shows that after an active spell between June 23 and July 5, when daily average rainfall peaked at 89.5 mm on June 23 and 88.1 mm on June 30, rainfall has almost collapsed over the past week, resulting in a steady rise in the seasonal shortfall.
According to the IMD rainfall statement, North Goa has received 829 mm against the normal 1,415 mm, a 41.4 per cent deficit, while South Goa has recorded 977.7 mm against 1,364.8 mm, leaving a 28.4 per cent deficit. The state-wide area-weighted average stood at 907.8 mm, 33 per cent below normal.
On Tuesday, Goa recorded an average rainfall of just 0.3 mm against the normal 33.4 mm, with only very light rain reported from just Sanguem.
Nationally, Goa remains among the top ten rainfall-deficit states, ranking eighth with a 33 per cent rainfall deficit for the period June 1 to July 13. Only Manipur (-73 per cent), Meghalaya (-54 per cent), Arunachal Pradesh (-50 per cent), Nagaland (-50 per cent), Bihar (-44 per cent), Puducherry (-44 per cent) and Jharkhand (-43 per cent) have reported larger deficits.
The IMD has forecast light rainfall after evening hours over the next 48 hours, with maximum and minimum temperatures likely to remain around 33°C and 27°C, respectively.
For the rest of the week, light rainfall is expected until July 15, followed by light to moderate rain from July 16 to 19, with no weather warnings issued for either North or South Goa.
