Panaji: On Monday morning, coconut oil in the container appears frozen – indication that mercury has dropped significantly.
At Old Goa, a meteorological observatory at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) recorded a minimum temperature of 18.5 degrees Celsius.
Nip in the air is rather fun, because the sudden decrease in mercury is visible.
“The minimum temperature fell by almost four degrees in three days at Old Goa,” said Gopal Mahajan, a scientist with Icar.
Mercury also fell to 19.2 degrees Celsius in the city – the lowest season so far for Panaji.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) records a minimum temperature of 2.5 degrees below normal on Monday morning.
While mercury fell more than two to three degrees in a few days, the cold was even sharper in the interior.
Goa experienced a lightweight winter during December, January and February, because the temperature fell below 20 degrees C and sometimes floated around 17-18 degrees C.
This year, it was like a broad rainy season, with occasional rainfall during October and November, which ended up recently as November was the wetest for years.
Cloudy sky prevents a decrease in mercury, which falls if the sky is clear.
IMD, Panaji, has expected a minimum temperature of around 20 degrees for Tuesday.
But the fun NIP in the air can be lost, because the minimum temperature and maximum temperature – which has dropped below normal – it will likely stabilize gradually for the next three to four days.
“Changes in the wind is likely to be in the lower atmosphere above the cave from North Northeries-easterlies to Easterlies for the next few days,” Rahul M, Scientist, IMD, Panaji.
In 2020 and earlier this year, the minimum temperature almost did not last below 20 degrees, because Goa had a warm night.