PANAJI
As Goa recorded 36°C and a very high ultraviolet (UV) index of 8.6 on Tuesday for the second consecutive day, the State is among 10 Indian locations reporting high temperatures. According to AQI.in, a weather monitoring platform, Goa ranks among the hottest locations in its comparison, while conditions across the country vary sharply. Gujarat recorded temperatures above 37°C, while Rajasthan, usually associated with extreme summer heat, was among the locations reporting temperatures below the coastal State. Tamil Nadu recorded 35°C, with Kanchipuram registering a UV index of 9.5, the highest among the locations cited. Parts of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala also recorded temperatures of around 35°C, with UV ranging from 9 to 9.5. Rajasthan, ranked tenth in the comparison, recorded around 35°C and had the lowest UV index among the listed locations at 6.3. Mumbai's St Cruz recorded 38.2°C and Colaba 36.5°C on Tuesday.
The readings come amid a spell of above-normal temperatures in Goa this month. The State recorded a maximum of 36.6°C on Monday, 5.1°C above normal, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD). While similar conditions prevailed on Tuesday, the maximum temperature is forecast to remain around 35-36°C on Wednesday. Humidity added to the uneasiness, with the feel-like temperature nearly 10°C above the actual temperature.
The IMD has forecast dry weather across Goa through Thursday, with hot and humid conditions likely at isolated locations during the late morning and afternoon. Partly cloudy skies and the possibility of rain or thundershowers have also been indicated.
Very light rainfall is likely over the Ghat areas of North Goa and Kushavati between October 16 and 19, while temperatures are expected to remain in the 30s.
Separately, AQI.in climate assessment placed Panaji in the high-severity category, with a score of 57 and a reported 27.7 percent deterioration in its climate score over 16 years. The platform said the assessment used selected weather-related parameters and that other environmental factors could influence the overall result.
In-charge of IMD Goa, Nahush Kulkarni, said deficient rainfall during the ongoing monsoon withdrawal, rising temperatures and elevated relative humidity levels are contributing to the prevailing conditions across Goa and the Konkan region.
"The combination of high temperatures and moisture in the atmosphere has intensified the discomfort. The conditions are a result of an anticyclonic circulation that has formed over the region, along with the moisture already present in the atmosphere," he said.
