Pre-monsoon showers lash Goa, swimmers warned against wading into sea

Panaji, May 31 (IANS) With pre-monsoon showers lashing across Goa through the day, tourists on Wednesday have been cautioned against wading into the sea for a swim.

"We have put up red flags at all the beaches which means that the area is not meant for swimming. It's advisable to steer clear of the high tide line in such circumstances. Even wading into the sea can be risky. We are closely monitoring the weather conditions. We strongly advise visitors not to venture into the sea as the sea and weather conditions are very rough," P.N. Pandey general manager (Operations) at Drishti Lifesaving told reporters here.

Goa, one of the most popular beach tourism destinations in the country, attracts more than four million tourists every year. During the monsoons however, the state government shuts down the beaches for swimming and water-sports activity due to the rough and choppy seas caused by the strong monsoon rains and wind.

The Indian Metereological Centre on Wednesday has also cautioned against heavy showers in the state over the next 48 hours.

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