Goa not facing heat wave at present

The Meteorology department, government of Goa has said that the state is not facing a heat wave at present with the department indicating that the temperatures in the state were in the range of 34 degrees Celsius which was the normal range.

In comparison, northern Maharashtra areas such as Bhusaval continued to reel under temperatures as high as 47 degrees according to the department

Heat wave conditions mean atleast 4 degrees celsius above normal, but currently only the minimum temperature was about one degree higher than normal. However the department did not rule out the temperatures going higher for a day or two in the month of May.

The Chief Minister Mr Digambar kamat has asked the health authorities to gear up to over come any after effects of the heat wave in the state at a high level meeting along with health officials.

The highest temperature recorded in the state of Goa was 39.8 degrees celsius in April 1989 and temperatures may reach those figures for a short period of a day or two this month.

The rainfall expected this year was however predicted to be normal with the onset of the monsoon only after May 15. However larger breaks in between the monsoon period is expected if the Monsoon sets early. The national institute of oceanography(NIO) research had pointed out to an increasing dry spells during the monsoon in the months of July and August and attributed them to rapid ocean warming. The study also pointed out that the period between July and August when most dry spells occur contributed to 61 percent of rainfall during monsoons.