PANAJI
With rainfall already running 30 per cent below normal and the deficit unlikely to be recovered before the southwest monsoon fully withdraws after October 1, Goa is entering the season’s closing stretch with a rain shortfall and surprisingly heavy heat burden.
Just like several other days during this season, the contrast was recorded even on Saturday when the early evening temperature touched 32.2°C, but the temperature felt closer to 41.8°C. The humidity was 72 per cent.
The comparison with other cities along the western and southern coasts has made Goa’s discomfort more pronounced. Nearby Ratnagiri, which also reported a cloudy sky, was at 31.4°C but had a feel-like temperature of 38.7°C with 70 per cent humidity. Despite being just up the Konkan coast, it was still more comfortable than Goa.
Further south, Karwar had the same actual temperature as Panaji – 32.2°C – but a slightly higher feel-like reading of 42.2°C and 73 per cent humidity. The comparison showed that Goa was not alone in carrying a substantial coastal heat load, although its conditions remained notably oppressive.
Thiruvananthapuram, another coastal and tourism-heavy capital of Kerala accustomed to heat and humidity, was at 31°C, with a feel-like temperature of 36.4°C and 66 per cent humidity – considerably milder than Panaji.
The difference was even more evident when Goa was compared with Mumbai, where its actual temperature stood at 30°C and the feel-like temperature around 36°C. This too was below Panaji’s 41.8°C.
Across the country, the evening readings offered little to suggest that Goa’s conditions were simply a product of a generally hot India. Ahmedabad was at 33°C with a feel-like temperature of 36°C, while Bengaluru and Chennai were at 33°C and 32°C respectively. Pune was cooler at 29°C, while Kolkata stood at 30°C.
Even New Delhi, despite a reported temperature of around 35°C in the broader city readings, had a feel-like temperature of 36.4°C.
