Monsoon surplus hits 26% in Goa

PANAJI: As rains continue to pound Goa, the state’s monsoon surplus has now hit 26%. The India meteorological department (IMD) has attributed this to weather systems that prevailed from the beginning of the season this year.
“When such systems prevail, the amount of rainfall exceeds its normal value. This is how we have received extra rainfall this year,” IMD said. While 26% is the average surplus rainfall this season for the state, North Goa has seen 30% and South Goa 22% surplus.
The systems that helped this year’s surplus are cyclone Nisarga, trough formations in the Arabian Sea and other circulations that prevailed over the Konkan coast. The state has so far received 1429.8mm (over 56 inches) of rain so far.
Over the years, Goa has witnessed monsoons wherein the initial month has poor rainfall but it catches up in the later months. One such example was 2019, when the onset of monsoon was delayed by two weeks. Last year, the monsoon arrived on June 20, leading to a deficit of 14%. However, August and September made up for it.