Weather Update: Heavy rains lash Goa, Quepem gets 200 mm; orange alert issued for Friday

Weather Update: The India Meteorological Department has issued an 'orange alert' forecasting heavy to very heavy rain along with winds of up to 55 kilometres per hour in Goa on Friday. It has also predicted squally weather with wind speed reaching 35 kmph to 45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph along and off the Goa coast till August 5 and has advised fisherfolk to not venture into the sea. 

On Thursday, Quepem in South Goa recorded 200 millimetres of rainfall, the highest in the state, followed by 174.6 mm in Valpoi (North Goa), 166.6 mm in Sanguem (South Goa) and 140 mm in Ponda. 

The IMD had issued a red alert for the day in the state, which got heavy rains since Wednesday night, inundating several low lying areas in Pernem and Sattari talukas in North Goa, officials said. 

Poriem MLA Deviya Rane raised the issue of flooding in Sattari in the assembly and said students had missed their examinations. She said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar must take immediate steps to provide relief to people. 

Shirodkar told the House the engineers of the department were on the spot monitoring the situation. 

State Education Director Shailesh Zingade told PTI on Thursday that teachers had been asked to take care of the students till they reach their homes homes. 

Zingade said necessary steps would be taken to provide relief to those students who missed their examinations.