PANAJI
Goa is unlikely to witness heatwave conditions during the April-June hot weather season, even as large parts of India including Goa, brace for above-normal temperatures.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its latest seasonal outlook, has placed Goa outside the belt of extreme heat risk, offering relative relief to the coastal state while several regions, particularly in eastern and northeastern India, are expected to record higher-than-usual maximum temperatures.
Yet the absence of heatwave classification has done little to temper discomfort on the ground in Goa, where humidity levels have surged to between 80 and 90 per cent, intensifying the “feels like” temperatures well beyond recorded readings.
According to the IMD, Panaji recorded a maximum temperature of 34.4°C, while Mormugao logged a minimum of 24.2°C under predominantly dry conditions in the last 24 hours. On Friday, the capital reported a temperature of 34.8°C, with a heat index climbing to 42.6°C.
Across the country, the IMD has warned that minimum temperatures during the April-May-June period are likely to remain above normal in most regions, which can worsen night-time discomfort and reduce relief from daytime heat. However, pockets of Maharashtra and Telangana may see normal to below-normal night temperatures.
For April specifically, the department has flagged an increase in heatwave days along coastal belts of Odisha, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh, along with isolated pockets in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Goa, notably, does not feature among the regions expected to face such extremes.
Locally, dry and sunny weather is forecast to persist over both North and South Goa districts. Over the next 24-48 hours, skies are expected to remain clear with morning haze, and temperatures are likely to hover between 34°C and 35°C during the day and around 24°C at night.
Even without heatwave conditions, IMD has advised precautionary measures from heat, while the government authorities are reviewing preparedness for impending heatwave conditions.
