PANJIM: The heavy rain showers may have caught people unawares, but it could also create a record as for the first time in history, Goa is experiencing rainfall every month right this calendar year and the forecast is that it could get rain in December this year.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) Goa Observatory in-charge Rahul said that this year it has rained every month, from January till November, and if showers continue in December, it will be record activities for a calendar year.
“This is probably for the very first time that Goa is witnessing rains across all months,” he said, adding, “Though it has rained in all 11 months, we cannot term the year as wettest, since the last two years the southwest rains have been 30-40 per cent in excess.”
From January 1, 2021 to November 3, 2021, the actual rainfall received has been 3856.7 mm, as against the normal rainfall of 3226.9 mm, which amount to 19 per cent excess rains.
January and February 2021 were anomalous in terms of unusual rainfall, the last which was reported in 1984. The pre-monsoon season period from March to May, which recorded 394.3mm of rainfall, was the highest since 2006. In 2006, the State had received 591mm of rains. The high amount of pre-monsoon showers this year has been attributed to Cyclone Tauktae that had left trails of destruction across Goa.
The four-month long annual southwest monsoon season from June to September, too, ended with 6 per cent surplus rains – 3154.1mm as against the average seasonal rainfall of 2975.6mm.
Rahul said that the post monsoon currents are active till now and the ongoing rainfall activities may continue up to November 9 with increased rainfall activities from November 5 to 7.
Explaining in detail, Rahul said that the reason for rainfall activities in winter is the persistence of easterly systems over the region which occasionally resulted in increased moisture at lower levels of atmosphere and resulted into rainfall.
“The pre-monsoon season also saw some extreme conditions due to Cyclone Tauktae,” he said.
IMD India, in a statement issued on Tuesday, said the country recorded 125 extremely heavy rainfall events in September, October this year, highest for the period in five years.
The country recorded 89 extremely heavy rainfall events in September against 61 in the same month last year, 59 in 2019; 44 in 2018 and 29 in 2017.
Also, 36 such events were witnessed in October this year as against 10 in the corresponding period in 2020; 16 in 2019; 17 in 2018 and 12 in 2017.
Nine low-pressure systems, including two cyclones, one deep depression and six lows, were recorded during the period, IMD India said.
