April 2015 - Weather Summary - Summer heat and humidity firmly in place

Summer heat which began to make its presence felt towards the end of March, truly ruled in April.

April 2015 recorded peak average maximum and minimum temperatures in the last 6 months and more. Though the maximum temperatures never crossed 36C the heat index was high due to stifling humidity of 80%RH and above. Similarly Minimum temperatures touched 28.2C once on April 23rd and again on April 30th with humidity of above 80% RH making mornings hot and humid.

Goa experienced sporadic convectional rains in the later half of April, with Margao recording 53 mm (2 inches) of rains with thunder and lightening in a 75 min downpour on the night of April 23rd. Sanguem, Canacona, Pernem also received isolated heavy downpours.

Other salient features of April 2015 were as under:

As conditions for onset of South West Monsoon begin to develop in the sub continent, Goa too is going to witness pre monsoon showers and hot and sultry weather in May.

But one has to endure a little pain for the joys that the Monsoons bring from June onwards. You do agree don't you?

April 23, 2015 - Thunderstorm in Margao

With maximum day temperatures around 35C and Humidity above 80%RH from April 21, isolated  rainfall was experienced in many parts of Goa, particularly late in the evening. The weather has generally remained hot and sultry due to overcast conditions. Cumulus clouds have made their presence felt this week and a thunderstorm was waiting to happen. Particularly because, rains due to wind discontinuity has been widespread east of the Ghats stretching from Interior Maharashtra, Karnatak and into Kerala.

Clouds streaming into Goa from the East around noon on April 21, 2015

However on April 23 late evening, a thunderstorm developed across the Ghats in South Goa and by 9.40 pm heavy rains started lashing Margao, accompanied by Lightening and thunder.

Thunderstorm seen building over South Goa at 21:30 hrs on April 23, 2015

In the next 75 minutes Vagaries Goa Rain Gauge at Aquem, Margao recorded 53 mm (2 inches) rainfall. IMD's Rain Gauge Center in Margao recorded 51.4 mm during the same period. This was heaviest rainfall recorded in Margao since March 1 this year, and the first pre monsoon shower of this year.

IMD's rain centres at Sanguem recorded 23.1 mm and at Canacona 20.6 mm. Panjim recorded only 1.8 mm. Most other places in Goa received only a drizzle or no rainfall, indicating that this thunderstorm was localised to a few place in South Goa, mainly Margao.

Rainfall recorded in 24 hrs ending 0830 hrs April 24, 2015 (Source IMD)

The rains brought down the minimum temperature on April 24 to 25.4C from 28.2C recorded on April 23.

Overcast, hot and humid conditions with occasional isolated showers or thunderstorms are forecast for Goa over the next 4 days. 

April '15 Second Half - Summer conditions setting in

Since around 16th of April summer heat wave conditions have started to set in North West India, East and South East Pakistan and Rajasthan and Gujarat.

As predicted by the well known Indian weather Blogger Rajesh Kapadia in his post http://www.vagaries.in/2015/04/ posted-friday-17th-night-heat-to.html, hottest in Asia on Sunday was Larkana Pakistan at 48°C and hottest in India were Kandla 44.6c, Jaisalmer 44.5c, Rajkot 43.6c, Barmer 43.4c, Bikaner 43.3c, Ahmadabad and Wardha 43.0c, Nagpur 42.8c and Bhopal 42.7c, Raipur 41.4c.

The Accurate Weather website also carries a report at  http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/india-new-delhi-pakistan-warmt/45776643 predicting rise in temperatures across most North Indian cities by upto 8C.

These developments are normal during this time of the year and are essential for on time onset of Monsoon across India.

Goa too has not escaped these conditions and sultry conditions with rising minimum temperatures with high humidity have been experienced since 16th April. The minimum temperature touched 27.4C on April 20th, fiirst time since March 18th this year. In fact after a little respite from heat in the first half of April with lower minimum temperatures and cool breeze from the west during daytime, March end like conditions are back in Goa. However the westerlies which start blowing from around noon have managed to keep the max temperatures around 34C so far.

Last few days also saw cloudy conditions in the evening with isolated rains in some parts of Goa, particularly in the interiors.

These sultry conditions are expected to continue with mostly dry weather over the next few days.

March 2015 Weather Summary - A Roller Coaster Ride!

Month of March 2015 saw it all - Thunder Storms with rains, followed by cool morning and then Hot days and to end the month - cloudy, hot and humid mornings too!

March 1 saw heavy rains throughout the state due to the trough associated with the Western Disturbance advancing from Afghanistan and Pakistan as explained in THIS post.

Vagaries Goa Rain Gauge at Margao recorded 49 mm on March 1 and 2 mm on March 2, bringing the total rainfall in March to a record 51 mm. Ponda (IMD) recorded the highest at 64.2 mm. Again ligh scattered rainfall was recorded in many parts of Goa around 26th March.

This made March 2015 one of the wettest months in the records maintained by IMD, Goa.

These rains on March 1 and 2 brought down the temperatures considerably, and for a few days the day temperatures touched max 31C and early mornings were pleasant at below 20C! But then the heat and the humidity took charge and lows climbed steadily till they were around 27C towards end March, highs remained steady at around 34C.

March heat is now matching the October heat!!

The following Charts give a picture of the temperature trends:

Feels like the summer truly set in March itself and we can expect this trend to continue in April and May.

After the rains, cool weather in March!

After the rains on March 1, Goa is experiencing some cool weather due to the cold winds blowing from N and NW.

Mornings have been below 20C from March 3, nearly 4C below normal for this time of the year. Minimum of 17.7C recorded at Panjim on March 4, is the lowest after 16C recorded on Jan 14 this year. No wonder Goans are shivering!

Day's highs have remained around 30C and it feels pleasant even under the sunny clear skies in the afternoon.

The interiors of Goa, in places like Valpoi, Pernem, Canacona minimum temperatures around 15C have been reported.

The morning temperatures are now climbing and summer is expected to bear down upon us by second week of March!

So enjoy the cool weather while it lasts!
 

March 2, 2015 Update - Rains recede

The rains in Goa under the influence of the current weather system in Central Arabian Sea, which began with thunderstorm in the early hours of March 1, and which were covered in this post, continued to provide isolated rains in many parts of Goa particularly on 1st evening. The maximum Day temperature recorded at Panaji on March 1, came down to 30.6C compared to 32.3C on Feb 28!

Following rainfall amounts were recorded by various IMD rain centres across Goa:

However resumption of NW and W winds heralds sunny and clear skies over Goa, again from March 2 onwards as seen in the IR satellite image below

Will the summer onset be far behind now?

Heavy Rains Lash Goa on March 1, 2015!

Goa was lashed by thunderstorm in the early morning hours of March 1, 2015! Rain accompanied by thunder and lightening was reported from all the areas in Goa. It led to collapse of Electriacl supply from Maharashtra Grid supply plunging Goa into total darkness!

Vagaries Goa rain Gauge at Margao recorded 49 mm (2 inches) of rainfall between 0315 hrs to 0600 hrs.

As per IMD Meteorological Analysis from their website http://www.imd.gov.in

♦ The Western Disturbance as an upper air cyclonic circulation over Afghanistan & adjoining Pakistan extending upto 3.1 km above mean sea level persists with a trough aloft roughly along Longitude 63.0°E and north of Latitude 15.0°N. Due to deepening of the westerly trough into central Arabian sea, wind confluence is continuing over central India and neighbourhood.

♦ The induced upper air cyclonic circulation over south Rajasthan & adjoining Gujarat extending upto 2.1 km above mean sea level persists.

♦ The upper air trough from Bihar to south Chhattisgarh has become less marked, however an upper air cyclonic circulation lies over north Chhattisgarh & adjoining East Madhya Pradesh and extends upto 1.5 km above mean sea level.

♦ The upper air cyclonic circulation over Comorin area and adjoining Srilanka has become less marked.

 

Under The influence of these factors Goa along with North Konkan, Mumbai, Saurashtra, Kutch and Central Maharashtra was expected to receive rainfall from February 28 continuing to March 1 and 2.

 

 

The 850 hPa Wind chart on the left clearly indicates the SW winds lashing Goa and N Konkan under the influence of the westerly trough, and extending into Central Maharashtra. The satellite image on the right shows a massive thunderstorm approaching Goa around midnight of February 28.

Till 0830 hrs on March 1, by which time rains had almost stopped, Ponda recorded the maximum rainfall of 54 mm. The rainfall for the other centres are as below:

Morning over Goa was partly overcast and rainfall is expected at a few places on March 1 evening and at isolated places on March 2, before retreating!

Overcast Skies at Margao at 1000 hrs, March 1, 2015