Goa’s 35.8°C max temp ‘feels like’ 45°C, outburning Raj

Panaji: At 2.30pm on Wednesday, Goa recorded a maximum temperature of 35.8°C, yet registered a “feels like” temperature of 45°C, surpassing the blazing conditions of the hotter New Delhi, Amritsar, and even the desert-enveloped Rajasthan.According to the pan-nation India Meteorological Department (IMD) portal, New Delhi reported a maximum temperature of 39°C with a “feels like” temperature of 40.1°C, while Amritsar logged 39.6°C but felt cooler at 38.5°C.Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer and Barmer, known for their scorching heat, registered 42.5°C and 44.3°C respectively in “feels like” readings. At 2.30pm, Jaisalmer registered a maximum temperature of 42.4°C and Barmer, 41.6°C.“This has basically to do with the humidity in the atmosphere, which increases the effective temperature or discomfort index, unlike in other cities, where the humidity is relatively low,” said meteorologist and retired scientist from the National Institute of Oceanography, Ramesh Kumar.He added, “Hence the effective temperature will be lower over there as will be the discomfort index.”By 5.30pm, New Delhi’s maximum temperature was 39.8°C and the “feels like” temperature dipped to 39.7°C with 22% humidity. Jaisalmer’s maximum temperature at that time reached 37°C and its “feels like” reading was 36.2°C, with 24% humidity. At that point, Barmer’s 36°C “felt like” 35.5°C, with 27% humidity.Panaji, however, noted a maximum temperature of 33°C at 5.30pm, yet the “feels like” temperature continued to be nearly 10 degrees higher at 42.2°C. The city was also sweating with 67% humidity.The IMD, Goa, has issued a weather warning for the state, forecasting a partly cloudy sky and rain in the evening over the next 48 hours.However, no large change is expected in the temperatures as the IMD has forecast that maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 35°C and 27°C respectively.