Climate Change responsible for unseasonal rains in Goa: Lokhancho Ekvott

PANAJI: This year 2021, Goa has received rains every month, from January to November and rains are predicted during December as well, a phenomenon not witnessed in the coastal state for decades.

While most of November is likely to be wet in Goa, with rains expected again this weekend, which could continue into next week, the Lokhancho Ekvott – a social forum, said that “Climate Change” and “Global Warming” are responsible for these unseasonal rains in Goa.

For the first time in history, Goa is experiencing rainfall every month and the forecast by the Met department, is that the State could get rain in December as well.

According to Rahul of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Goa Observatory in-charge: during 2021 it rained every month, from January till November, and if showers continue in December, it will be record rainfall activities for the entire calendar year.

“This is probably for the very first time that Goa is witnessing rains across all months,” Rahul said, adding, “though it has rained in all 11 months, the year cannot be termed as the wettest, as the overall quantum of rains till date is around 19 to 20 percent in excess.” December rains could add another 5 per cent to this figure.

Since the last two years the rains have been about 30-40 per cent in excess and in certain parts or areas in Goa the excess is nearly 40 per cent.

From January 1, 2021 to November 3, 2021, the actual rainfall received has been 3856.7 mm, as against the normal rainfall of 3226.9 mm, which amount to 19 per cent excess rains.

In Goa, January and February 2021 were anomalous in terms of unusual rainfall, the last which was reported in 1984,the IMD said.

According to the IMD, the pre-monsoon season period from March to May, recorded 394.3mm of rainfall, which was the highest since 2006.

In 2006, the State received 591mm of rains. The high amount of pre-monsoon showers this year has been attributed to Cyclone Tauktae in the month of May, that had left trails of destruction across Goa.

The four-month long annual South-West monsoon season from June to September, ended with 6 per cent surplus rains – 3154.1mm as against the average seasonal rainfall of 2975.6mm, the IMD said.

“The impact of Global warming is already being felt in Goa and other parts of the world. Our state will be strongly affected as the repercussions of Climate Change are being experienced globally,” said Julian Antao, a weather scientist associated with the Lokhancho Ekvott, who further added that Goa must take Climate Change very seriously, unless it wants to see large scale annual floods across the State and mass damage to crops and vegetation.