Heavy pre-monsoon rain floods Goa; more rain forecast this week

Heavy rain of over 40 mm lashed Goa last evening, flooding the streets and causing traffic snarls. It also lead to long power cuts. According to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, the weather in Goa is expected to be rainy throughout the week, with good amounts of rain expected in the state for next 24 hours.

“Rain is likely to continue in Kerala, Karnataka and Goa due to a  trough along the west coast of Peninsular India and a wind discontinuity line (where two air masses merge), near Kerala. While Kerala could receive some heavy showers for the next 48 hours, Goa could witness good amounts of rain for 24 hours. Rain may continue this entire week, but reduce in intensity, becoming scattered in Goa in a day”, says AVM (Retd) G.P Sharma.

Weather in Goa turned cloudy on Sunday, when the capital city Panaji recorded 5 mm of rain. The showers automatically led to a drop of about three degrees in the minimum temperature, bringing it down to 24⁰C on Monday morning. And heavy showers on Monday evening cooled the morning temperature even further, as it recorded five degrees below the normal average on Tuesday morning, at 22⁰C.

Other than Panaji, heavy pre-monsoon showers also lashed Margao, Old Goa and Mormugao. Margao received 28.2 mm, Old Goa 25.6 mm and Mormugao 23.4 mm of rain.

Goa, so far in the month of May has received 81 mm of rain, with 42.2 mm being on 19^th May alone. On 9^th May also Panaji had received heavy showers of about 30 mm, due to the low pressure system near Sri Lanka, which plummeted the mercury to 22.9⁰C. But after the 10^th of May, the weather in the state became dry till the 18^th and the minimums rose to 27⁰C.

The normal rainfall figure for Goa for May is 97 mm and this is the first time in five years, when the state is nearing the normal figure. In 2013, Goa had received 72 mm of rain, whereas in 2012 and 2011, the weather in Goa remained extremely dry, with only 1 mm of rain. More rain till the end of this month could possibly surpass the normal rainfall figure.

“It must be remembered that good pre-monsoon rain does not ensure that the monsoon too will be good”, added G.P Sharma.

The official date of the onset of Southwest Monsoon in Goa is 7^th of June and according to the Indian Meteorology Department, if all goes well monsoon could arrive in Goa on the declared date.

According to Skymet Meteorology Division in India, the Southwest Monsoon was supposed to make an early onset in the Andaman Sea, which it did on the 18^th of May. The date of arrival of Southwest Monsoon in Kerala has been predicted as 28^th May and developments are being closely watched.

Photo by southindiatravel.