Rainfall reported every month since April 2020

Panaji: Goa has continuously received rainfall at an average of at least once a month for the past 22 months. Since April 2020, the state has been witnessing a series of rainfall events, both seasonal as well as unseasonal.

“In the pre-monsoon season (March-May), monsoon, and post monsoon (October-December) it’s normal to get reported with rainfall. In the case of 2021, both January and February had rainfall events, and which resulted in this continuity of months with rainfall reports,” Rahul M, scientist at the India meteorological department (IMD) said.

Parts of the state received light rain on Monday, making it the first rain of 2022 in the winter season. With the likelihood of westerly component of winds, light rainfall is very likely at isolated places over Goa on January 22 and 23.

In fact, the winter rains this year have been exceptionally high over most of the subdivisions of the Indian subcontinent, according to meteorologist and retired scientist at the

National Institute of Oceanography

(NIO), Dr M R Ramesh Kumar.

Out of the 36 subdivisions, there were 22 with large excess, one with excess, four with normal, two with deficient, six with large deficient and only one subdivision with no rain, so far.

“This itself is an exceptional condition for the month of January 2022,” Kumar said.

A fall in minimum and maximum temperatures by 1-2°C is likely during the coming two to three days, states the IMD forecast.

“The exceptional fall in temperatures in most of the meteorological sub divisions of the Indian subcontinent, including Goa, could be attributed to the La Nina phenomenon in the eastern Pacific. In fact, there have been exceptionally cold conditions over several parts of the world,” Kumar said.