Panaji: Winter season this year marked milder nights, warmer afternoons, and an absence of sharp cold spells.According to climatological data analysed by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), mean maximum temperatures across Goa during winter typically ranged between 30°C and 32°C, a pattern that broadly continued this season. The climatological normals for various monthly and annual parameters are based on the 1981-2010 reference period.
The lowest minimum temperature recorded at Panaji was 13.3°C on Feb 28, 1965. In contrast, the winter of 2026 did not witness similarly low temperatures. The capital recorded a minimum temperature of 17.1°C, the lowest in Goa among all monitoring stations, on Dec 21, 2025, after which the minimum largely fluctuated between 19°C and 20°C through Jan and Feb.Meteorologist and retired scientist from the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) Goa, M R Ramesh Kumar, citing long-term IMD data, suggested a perceptible moderation of winter conditions compared to rare but notable cold events of the past.He said winters appear to be getting warmer, particularly in urban centres.“In a state like Goa, increased urbanisation and concretisation likely enhanced the urban heat island effect,” he said. Urban heat islands occur when built-up areas retain more heat due to concrete surfaces, asphalt roads, and reduced vegetation, leading to higher night-time temperatures compared to surrounding rural areas.Data trends indicate that the state’s cool season may be gradually losing some of its earlier chill. The IMD forecasts dry and mainly sunny weather conditions, which are very likely to prevail over North Goa and South Goa till March 7.
