Update April 6 - Margao and surrounding areas got first drizzle of the year on the intervening night of April 5-6. The drizzle for about 30 minutes around midnight left puddles of water on the city roads, but failed to bring down the humidity or the temperature. Minimum temperature recorded by Panaji IMD on the morning of April 6 was 26.4C the highest minimum recorded this year, so far!
A localized, intense but highly destructive storm with hails lashed the north eastern corner of Goa for nearly an hour, affecting parts of Bicholim and Satari talukas and towns and villages like Sanquelim, Keri, Honda, Salelim, Harvalem, Thane etc, claiming one life, uprooting tens of trees, electricity poles, damaging houses, shops and road and telecommunications network. Power was disrupted for hours at many places. Industrial estates at Honda and Pissurlem.
The storm was the result of a cyclonic disturbance off the coast of Goa and a trough in North Interior Karnataka. The intense updraft created due to the mountains of Salelim and Vagheri on Goa - Karnataka border in the north east corner of Goa, along with a vertical wind shear and moisture laden winds blowing from the coast, could have contributed to the hailstorm experienced at Honda and Keri and the rains over a 20 km radius from the base of these mountains. The Chorla Ghat and the villages on the Karnataka side of the border must have suffered extensive damage too.
Reports indicated that hails were seen in this part of Goa after nearly 20 years!
