Goa records 36% above-normal rainfall in Oct, weather similar to peak monsoon months: IMD

Panaji: Goa witnessed an unusual surge in post-monsoon rainfall this Oct, recording an average of 36% above normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The wet spell was accompanied by cooler temperatures and elevated humidity levels reminiscent of peak monsoon months, as Panaji recorded 2°C below normal on Sunday.As per IMD data, up to Oct 26, North Goa received 218.2mm of rainfall against a normal of 151.2mm, marking a 44.3% excess, while South Goa recorded 200.2mm against a normal of 154.8mm, a 29.4% increase.Meteorologist and retired chief scientist from the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) Goa, M R Ramesh Kumar, attributed the heavy downpour to a depression that developed off the west coast of India earlier this week.

“We had two consecutive days of heavy rainfall across Goa — 77mm on Oct 24 and 23mm on Oct 25 — due to the depression that was quite close to the state,” Kumar said.Rainfall distribution was uneven. The Canacona, Dharbandora, and Pernem stations emerged as the wettest, logging 292mm, 288mm, and 258mm respectively — each recording more than 10 inches of rain between Oct 1 and Oct 26.In contrast, Margao saw the lowest rainfall, receiving only 15mm during the same period.

Alongside the heavy rainfall, temperatures across Goa dipped notably. At Panaji, the maximum temperature fell by 3.2°C below the normal, settling at 29°C and a minimum temperature of 24°C, while Mormugao recorded a 2.6°C drop to 30°C with minimum temperature was 23.8°C. Humidity levels soared to 98% in Panaji and 97% in Mormugao, conditions typically seen during July–Aug, the core monsoon months. The station also recorded 69.2mm of rainfall between 8.30am and 8.30pm in Panaji.“The combination of reduced daytime temperatures and nearly saturated humidity levels has made the atmosphere strikingly similar to mid-monsoon,” Kumar said.Upper-level wind observations from the Panaji observatory on Sunday morning indicated strong northerly and northeasterly winds between 1,000 and 3,000 metres, with speeds ranging from 25 to 40 knots.Given the prevailing conditions, the IMD extended its yellow alert for Goa till Oct 29.

The forecast warns of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds (30–40kmph, gusting to 50kmph) and the possibility of heavy rainfall at isolated places across the state.With the post-monsoon period typically marked by dry weather, the current wet spell caught both residents and meteorologists by surprise. Experts suggest that the unusual persistence of weather systems over the Arabian Sea could be driving the excess rainfall this month.As the yellow alert remains in place, authorities have urged citizens to stay alert.