Of late, the weather gods have been
behaving rather unpredictably. While the month of December last year was as
humid as any other time of the year, come January the temperatures have dropped
drastically. The meteorological department was quick to declare that January 13
night turned out to be the coldest night of the season so far, as the
temperature dropped to 16°Celsius, the second lowest for the month since 2008.
Goans have been battling chilly nights for the last couple of days, as the
mercury continued to dip to the lowest, after recording the 17.3°Celsius as the
lowest minimum temperature on January 11.
The cold wave that has hit Goa, albeit not
as bad as the weather in Pune or Delhi, has influenced Goans to alter their
lifestyle. While some have naturally opted for hot-water showers, others have
fished out their sweaters and mufflers from the rarely used wardrobe
compartments to sport multi-layered clothing. Pranay Purohit from Panjim says,
“I’m in love with the weather. Usually it is quite humid in Goa, so the winters
have brought in the much needed respite. The chilly weather gives us the luxury
of making a style statement whilst protecting ourselves from the low temperatures.
I have a collection of about 15-20 jackets which I otherwise never get to wear.
Well, those jackets are all out now and I’m loving it.”
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While Pranay has no problems with the
change in weather, things don’t seem to be the same with Alton Costa who isn’t
too happy with the cold temperatures. Alton says, “I live in Nadora, which,
apart from being far from Panjim, requires one to pass through numerous paddy
fields on either sides of the road before one reaches the capital city.
Furthermore, my erratic work timings and the fact that I use a bike to commute
to and from work makes it more challenging. I can barely feel my fingers after
reaching home – they go numb thanks to the chilly evenings.”
Another interesting change that the winters
have subtly forced upon the people, especially in the capital city, is
surprisingly pleasant. Richa Bhandarker from Mala says, “Although, it is
uncomfortable riding in the chilly weathers, the warmth of meeting friends over
a cup of piping hot chai or coffee and the friendly banter makes it totally
worth it. Although Goa does not have the luxury of easily found cutting chai
stalls like in Mumbai or Pune, Canape or Nescafe in Miramar are our popular
haunts. I’m not sure about whether or not I want this weather to continue for a
long time, but at the moment, I’m enjoying myself!”
