Team Herald
PANJIM: With 394 millimetres (mm) of rainfall, the 2021 pre-monsoon season ended with Goa recording the highest amount of rain in this period, over the one and half decade. The previous highest was 591mm in 2006.
Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Goa observatory released data of the pre-monsoon season – March 1 to May 31. As per the data, this year, Goa received 394.3mm of pre-monsoon rains.
“If we go through the records, we can say that this is highest since the last one and half decade,” IMD Goa in-charge Rahul said, adding that Cyclone Taukate, that hit the coast on May 15-16, had a significant contribution. Around 292mm of cyclonic rainfall was received, he said.
The year 2020 that had recorded the wettest monsoon of the century (162 inches), had received only 10.3 mm of pre-monsoon rains, while it was hardly 2.2 in 2019.
In the last one and half decade, on three occasions pre-monsoon rains breached the 100mm mark that is 132.2 mm in 2008, 123.7mm in 2014 and 133.9mm in 2018.
The year 1961 that had recorded 160 inches of rain for the entire season, had recorded 662.2 mm of pre-monsoon showers – the highest of the century so far.
IMD India has indicated that the southwest monsoon arrival in Kerala will be delayed and will reach there by June 3. As such, the monsoon onset over Goa will be around June 6 or 7.
