Cyclonic storm 'Ashobaa' to miss Gujarat, Mumbai coast

To make landfall in Oman on June 11 night

The cyclonic storm 'Ashobaa' is expected to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm, but would miss the Gujarat and Mumbai coast and is expected to make landfall between Sur and Mina Sultan Qaboos in Muscat around the night of June 11, the local meteorological centre in Ahmedabad said here.

"The cyclonic storm 'Ashobaa' over east-central Arabian sea moved slowly in a north-northwestward direction during the past 12 hours and lay centered on June 9 morning over east central and adjoining northwest and west central Arabian sea, about 830 km west of Mumbai, 570 km west-southwest of Veraval and 640 km east-southeast of Sur (Oman) and 800 km east-southeast of Muscat (Oman)," said, a coastal bulletin posted on the website of meteorological centre in Ahmedabad.

"The system would intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm, move initially northwestwards during the next 24 hours and west-northwestwards thereafter. It would cross Oman coast as a cyclonic storm between Sur and Mina Sultan Qaboos, Muscat around night of 11 June 2015," the bulletin further said.

Jayant Sarkar, director, Meteorological Centre, Ahmedabad, said, "Cyclonic storm Ashobaa willmiss the Gujarat coast and Mumbai coast and make landfall in Oman on June 11. However, thunderstorms and light to moderate rainfall are expected across Gujarat."

Sarkar further said that while moderate rainfall was expected in South Gujarat, isolated showers to light rainfall was expected in Saurashtra, Kutch and North Gujarat region.

Dry heat gave way to cloudy skies and strong breeze in Ahmedabad and parts of Gujarat on Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, weathermen have advised fishermen not to venture into the open sea over the next 24 hours.

"Wind will be 35 to 45 kilometre per hour (kmph) from south-easterly to southerly direction. Wind speed in gust may temporarily reach 55 kmph," Sarkar said, adding that fishermen have been advised not to venture into open sea over the next 24 hours while those out in the open seas have been advised to return to the coast.