Cyclone 'Hikaa' intensifies, to cross Oman by Tuesday night

Cyclone 'Hikaa' has turned into a "very severe storm" while moving westward in the Arabian Sea and is likely to cross the Oman coast on Tuesday night, the MeT department said.

It advised fishermen from Gujarat not to venture into the sea as the weather there will remain "very rough" till Wednesday morning.

"Severe cyclonic storm 'Hikaa' moved nearly westwards with a speed of 22 kmph during past six hours and intensified rapidly into a very severe cyclonic storm over north-west and adjoining west-central Arabian Sea," the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a bulletin.

As of Tuesday morning, it lay centred about 820 km west-southwest of Karachi in Pakistan, 220 km east-southeast of Masirah in Oman, and about 350 km east-northeast of Duqm in Oman, it said.

"The cyclone is likely to maintain its intensity for next six hours and weaken gradually thereafter," the IMD said.

It is very likely to move west-southwestwards and cross the Oman coast close to Duqm on Tuesday night "as a severe cyclonic storm" with a wind speed of 110-120 kmph gusting to 135 kmph, it said.

"Winds with speed reaching 130-140 kmph gusting to 155 kmph are very likely to prevail over north-west and west- central Arabian sea during next six hours. The wind speed will gradually decrease thereafter, becoming 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph by Tuesday evening along and off the Oman coast," the IMD said.

Its intensity would further weaken before turning into a squally wind with speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph near the Oman coast on Wednesday morning.

"The sea conditions will be phenomenal during next 12 hours, high to very rough during subsequent 12 hours, and will improve thereafter," the IMD said.