Panaji: July 2026 has gone down as one of Goa’s driest Julys in recent years , with the state receiving just 662.2mm of rainfall during the month—almost half of the month’s normal rainfall of 1,047mm.Rainfall records of the past five years show Goa received 1,171mm in July 2022, 1,777mm in July 2023, 1,986mm in July 2024 and 1,186mm in July 2025. Historical records also show exceptionally wet Julys, with 1,742mm recorded in 1931 and 1,748mm in 1953.The month witnessed an unusual break in the monsoon. Goa recorded five non-rainy days in July, including four consecutive rainless days from July 11 to 14, followed by another dry day on July 29. Such an extended dry spell during the peak southwest monsoon is considered rare and could rank among the longest recorded for the month.According to meteorologist and retired chief scientist at the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), M R Ramesh Kumar, the causative mechanism for this large deficit for Goa was due to a multitude of factors.“Fewer convective systems in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, weak low level jet stream at a height of 1500m above mean sea level, weak cross equatorial flow, Madden Julian Oscillation and concurrent occurrence of the strongest El Nino in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific Ocean are among some of the reasons,” he told TOI.However, he also attributed the reason to the formation of a strong convective system in the south China Sea called Typhoon Bavi, which formed from June 30 and dissipated on July 16. “This upset the formation of the convective systems in the north Indian Ocean,” he said.
