Pre-monsoon showers bring respite from heat

PANAJI: Fairly widespread rainfall throughout Goa on Thursday morning brought relief from the extended spell of heat and humidity.
Meteorologists expect the southwest monsoon to advance over Goa in the next six to nine days.
The first pre-monsoon showers and a cloudy sky brought the temperatures down after a long dry spell in May, though the mercury had not shot up beyond 35celsius.The minimum temperature slid nearly three degrees below normal to 22.6 degrees Celsius on Thursday morning.
Panaji recorded the highest rainfall of 23.8mm till 8.30am on Thursday while only Ponda, Margao, Sanguem and Quepem centres did not record any rain among 13 centres.
“In the present scenario, the monsoon may advance over Goa between June 12 to 15, depending on prevailing weather conditions,” said Krishna Padgalwar, director, India meteorological department (IMD), Panaji.
With a low pressure area likely to develop off the Kerala-Maharashtra coast and an eastwest shear zone above mean sea level across Lakshadweep, Maldives, Comorin, the monsoon is likely to advance over Kerala by Saturday.
IMD had issued a heavy rainfall warning at isolated places in Goa on Thursday. “From Friday, light to moderate rainfall is likely at a few places,” Padgalwar said.
On Wednesday, the meteorological at Panaji had recorded a maximum temperature of 35.2C, nearly four degrees above normal.