Panaji : In one of the sharpest early winter drops recorded in recent years for November, Panaji woke up to an unusually chilly morning on Sunday with the minimum temperature touching 19°C. It is the second time this month that the mercury has touched this level.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the temperature is 2.8°C below normal.
Officials attributed the chill to dry, cool north-easterly winds sweeping across Goa at the lower levels of the atmosphere, which often triggers sudden night time cooling.
Minimum temperatures began dropping shortly after November 9, when the city recorded a comparatively warm 22.5°C.
Over the next few days, the nights gradually cooled: 20.6°C on November 10, 20.2°C on November 11, and 20.6°C on November 12, followed by a slight rebound to 21.8°C on November 13 and 22.2°C on November 14.
The sharper drop came mid-month, with Panaji registering 19.0°C on November 18. Although temperatures hovered around 20–21°C thereafter, a fresh spell of northeasterly winds chilled the final weekend of the month, culminating in Sunday’s minimum of 19.0°C. Climatological records show that such temperatures, while uncommon, are not unprecedented for November. In 2016, Panaji also experienced a lowest minimum of 19.0°C in November.
Historical IMD data lists other similarly cold November nights, with the all-time lowest minimum for the month standing at 17.8°C on November 18, 2012, though that figure is based on a different 15-year record set.
Meteorologists said that the continuous flow of north-easterly winds has reduced moisture and cloud cover during night time, allowing heat to escape rapidly from the surface. This radiational cooling effect is typical of early winter transitions but has been more pronounced this year due to persistent clear skies and subdued humidity.
As December begins, IMD forecasts suggest that minimum temperatures will remain around 20–21°C, with slight fluctuations expected.
