Cyclone Vayu: 20 villages put on alert in Gujarat

20 villages here were put on alert on Wednesday ahead of the cyclonic storm 'Vayu' that is slated to make a landfall in Gujarat on Thursday.

39 schools in villages near the coastal areas of Valsad are expected to remain closed. Fire and rescue teams have also been put on alert.

Apart from this, Kandla port in Kutch district will temporarily remain closed ahead of the landfall. Locals and fishermen who live in areas near the port are being evacuated to safer places by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

The cyclone is likely to cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva on 13th morning.

"It (Vayu) is very likely to move northwards and cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva around Veraval and Diu region as a very severe cyclonic storm with wind speed 140-150 kmph gusting to 165 kmph around the morning of June 13," the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had said in a statement.

Cyclone Vayu is likely to cause heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of Gujarat along with storm surge, which may cause inundation in the low lying coastal areas of Dwarka, Porbandar, Junagarh, Diu, Gir, Somnath, Amreli and Bhavnagar districts at the time of landfall.

NDRF has mobilised 35 teams in Gujarat and four teams in Diu in coordination with the local administration. Rescue teams of SDRF, Army, Coast Guard, and BSF are also in the readiness.

Earlier, the Union Home Ministry had issued detailed advisories to the Gujarat government and the Diu administration, asking them to take all precautionary measures to prevent loss of life in the wake of the impending Cyclone.