Panaji: A torrid week of hot and humid conditions— when mercury hovered near or above 35°C and night temperatures soared above 28°C for four consecutive days— eased a wee bit, as the mercury dropped to normal level on Saturday.But with India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting maximum and minimum temperatures of around 35°C and 26°C for the next couple of days and weather likely to be dry for a few days, no relief appears to be in sight.On Saturday, the IMD recorded a maximum temperature of 34.7°C, just 0.8 degrees above normal and a minimum temperature of 25.3°C, a degree below normal.After the current season’s hottest day at 35.6°C was recorded in the city just after mid-April, the mercury again rose to 35.3°C on April 23. Then for four consecutive days from April 25 to 28, sultry conditions prevailed as the mercury remained above 35°C.On April 30, mercury rose to the second highest of this season at 35.4°C on Thursday, but came down to 34.8°C on Friday and 34.7°C on Saturday. Morning temperatures also soared unusually high, making it one of the most discomfiting summers in recent years, as IMD recorded over 28°C temperatures from Monday to Thursday.After the mercury soared to 28.4°C and 28.3°C on Monday and Tuesday respectively, it jumped higher the next day to 28.6°C and remained at the same mark on Thursday. This was the third highest minimum temperature in five decades, as compared to 29.2°C recorded on April 27, 1995.“With the maximum and minimum temperatures jumping higher at the same time, the whole of Goa was exceptionally warm, thanks to the combined effect of insignificant rainfall, increased relative humidities, and increased solar radiation,” said M R Ramesh Kumar, chief scientist (retired) and a meteorologist.
