The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday said that cyclonic storm “Vayu”, which has weakened, is likely to reach coastal Saurashtra and Kutch in Gujarat as a depression by Monday evening. In its latest update, the IMD said that “Vayu” was spotted at 355 kms west-southwest of Porbandar coast, 380 kms west Veraval and 470 kms west of Diu.
The Met said that the cyclone is likely to be accompanied by strong winds speed of the order of 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph off Gujarat coast. “The system is very likely to move westwards during next 24 to 36 hours with gradual weakening and recurve northeastwards thereafter and reach coastal Saurashtra and Kutch as a depression by the evening of June 17,” it further said. The sea conditions are likely to remain rough till June 17.
In a fresh warning, the IMD said that a fresh warning to fishermen not to venture into the Arabian sea and along the coast of Gujarat as Cyclone Vayu storms over the northeast and adjoining east-central Arabian Sea. The IMD said that the impact of Vayu had led to heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated places in Saurashtra, while the entire state received scattered rainfall Saturday.
In a tweet, Gujarat Additional Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar said, "#CycloneVayu is still maintaining its intensity. Rainfall activity is set to decrease along the coast and the interior parts of #Gujarat, while the western parts of the state will continue to receive light to moderate rains."
Cyclone Vayu, which was to make landfall on Thursday near the Gujarat coast, changed course on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. It skirted the Gujarat coast affecting Gir, Somnath, Diu, Junagarh and Porbandar. On Friday, the Ministry of Earth Sciences has stated that Vayu is likely to recurve and come close to Gujarat coast.
Earlier, the cyclone, while not making landfall in Gujarat, brought moderate-to-heavy rains to 114 tehsils, the highest rainfall of 6.5 inches (160mm) being recorded in Talala tehsil of Gir-Somnath district since Thursday, a Met department release said.
The development comes a day after Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani declared that the "danger over the state has ended." However, the cyclone recurved coming close to the Indian coast.