PANAJI: The southwest monsoon finally hit the state on Thursday, two days after its scheduled time. The state has been witnessing heavy showers in the last few days but the official arrival of the monsoon was confirmed only on Thursday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced the onset of monsoon after assessing rainfall for the last two days. M L Sahu, IMD director-in-charge, told this daily that most parts of the state had experienced heavy rainfall since Tuesday.
The southwest monsoon has further advanced over some more parts of central Arabian Sea, remaining parts of coastal Karnataka and entire Goa, some parts of Konkan and some more parts of interior Karnataka.
In the last 24 hours, heavy rains were experienced in Pernem, measured at 12 cm, and Panaji (9 cm). Other parts of the state received chief amounts of rainfall including Mormugao 5 cm, Ponda and Ela (Old Goa) 4 cm each, Mapusa, Canacona and Dabolim 3 cm each, Sankhali and Valpoi 2 cm each, Sanguem, Margao and Quepem 1 cm each.
However, the IMD is yet to issue the first advisory to farmers ahead of the sowing season. It has, however, issued a warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall for the next 48 hours. Winds will be southwesterly speed 45-50 kmph temporarily/momentarily reaching 60 kmph in gust/squall, it said.
The southwest monsoon arrived in Kerala on May 30, and was to hit Goa five days from then. However, it was delayed because of low pressure off the Arabian Sea.
In 2015, the southwest monsoon was delayed by three days and had arrived on June 8. Last year, it was delayed by a fortnight and had reached the state on June 19 though usually monsoon hits Goa around June 6.
The weather department expects the monsoon to cover the whole of Goa in five days. So far, it has been active in a few places but for the next four days it will be widespread covering the entire state, an official said.
The IMD declares the arrival of monsoon only after certain parameters are met. Officials at the meteorological department checked for the consistency of rainfall over a defined geography, its intensity and wind speed. “All the criteria to determine the onset of monsoon have been met like strong and gusty winds are blowing southwesterly,” the weather office said.