Panaji: With the monsoon persisting in a weak mode and the rainfall deficit mounting to 45%, the rise in mercury is causing much discomfort, as it appears to be an extension of the summer.
On Saturday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Panaji, recorded a minimum temperature 4°C above normal at 28.5°C. The maximum temperature recorded over the weekend was 3.5°C above normal at 34.2°C, identical to Friday's reading.
After a scorching May, among the warmest in recent memory, the southwest monsoon's arrival a week ago brought relief. Yet the lingering uneasiness of heatwave-like conditions continues under clear skies.
During the past two days, the weighted average of 24-hour rainfall for the state was 0.6mm on Friday and 3.7mm on Saturday. The highest 24-hour rainfall recorded so far is just 24.7mm (one inch) on June 10, while 20.7mm was recorded on June 11.
These types of fluctuations in rainfall during the monsoon are normal. But the sudden decrease in rainfall activity may have triggered the rise of mercury to pre-monsoon levels, said meteorologist and NIO chief scientist (retired) M R Ramesh Kumar. The earth cools down after the arrival of monsoon but it did not happen, as the monsoon activity is weak, he added. The seasonal total has touched 157.7mm, compared to the normal value of 288.4mm, a deficit of 45%.
During the last 24 hours until Saturday morning, only light rainfall occurred across the state. Pernem received the highest of only 10mm, Old Goa 9mm, Dabolim 5.8mm, Sanguem 4.3mm, while other centres recorded much less.
IMD, Panaji, has extended a yellow coded alert only for Sunday with the possibility of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and wind.
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