Light showers bring relief in Goa after a dry fortnight

Panaji: Some parts of the state received brisk rainfall due to an upper air cyclonic circulation in northwest Madhya Pradesh and neighbouring areas above mean sea level, as the pre-monsoon showers during peak summer showed a deficit.It rained in the morning at Old Goa and other parts of Tiswadi. Some parts, like Ponda, received rain in the evening. While it provided some relief from the sultry heat, it rained after almost a fortnight. The last showers of 1mm and 0.1mm were recorded on April 23 and 24.IMD, Panaji, had issued a nowcast alert around 2.30 pm and warned about staying away from open areas and other vulnerable points due to the possibility of thunderstorms and lightning.This year, the pre-monsoon rain had been above normal till recently, peaking with the highest 24-hour average of 7.1mm recorded on March 26.The maximum temperature continues to be above normal, as IMD, Panaji, recorded a maximum temperature of 35.5 degrees celsius on Thursday. But the delay or absence of westerly winds creates heatwave-like conditions. This makes venturing out during noon hours a scorching experience.The unseasonal total has touched 13.5mm, but at this stage, a total of 14.8mm is considered normal. After the surplus had risen to 87% at one stage during March-April, the lack of rain for a fortnight has shown a deficit of 8.8%.