After four-day lull, monsoon activity set to revive in next 3 days

PANAJI: Daily average rainfall of a mere 0.2mm recorded during the last 24 hours, till Thursday morning, made it the season’s driest day so far. But after a four-day lull, monsoon activity is likely to revive briefly due to a circulation in Arabian sea.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), Panaji, has issued a yellow warning. Light to moderate rainfall is likely and heavy rainfall very likely at isolated places from July 24 to July 26.
“The circulation over the southeast Arabian sea is likely to move northward, but its effect will last only up to July 26 and there will be only light rainfall subsequently,” IMD scientist Rahul M said.
Further, IMD has forecast that squally weather, with wind speed reaching up to 40-50 km per hour, is likely to prevail. Fishermen have been advised not to venture out to sea. The last four days, since July 20, have yielded only 19.1mm rain. On Thursday morning, only Panaji and Mormugao recorded 1mm each, while figures of two centres - Ponda and Valpoi - were unavailable.
The seasonal total rainfall has, however, touched 2,127.6mm (83.7 inches) as compared to a normal of 1683.5mm (66.2 inches), leaving a surplus of 26%. This is largely due to heavy to very heavy rainfall during the last two months.
After cyclone Nisarga triggered torrential rainfall, the onset of the monsoon was followed by spells of steady and intermittent rainfall in June.
A 24-hour spell produced 137.2mm on June 17, the heaviest single-day rainfall in that month since the last 10 years. In July, the wettest spell, on July 4, produced 117.1mm rain.
A similar phase of dull activity was witnessed between June 25 and 28 when only 11.5mm rainfall was recorded in four days. Rainfall of 0.4mm, recorded on June 26, was the second lowest daily average rainfall this season, so far.