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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has asked all ports in Gujarat to hoist ‘distant warning signal-II’ as the deep depression in the southwest Arabian sea moved northwards and intensified into cyclonic storm Nilofar on Sunday. A distant warning signal is issued to warn ships leaving a port that they might run into danger during their voyage.
The storm is likely to intensify further during the next 24 hours and move towards the Gujarat coast.
IMD says the landfall of the cyclone could be near Kutch in northern Gujarat and the adjoining Pakistani coast. According to initial projections, it would take place by Thursday or Friday.
Under the influence of Nilofar, “rainfall at many places, with isolated heavy to very heavy falls, would commence along the coastal districts of Saurashtra and Kutch from Thursday morning. Squally winds will speed reaching 45-55 km per hour, gusting to 65 km per hour would commence along and off the Gujarat coast from Thursday morning,” an advisory issued by IMD said, adding that sea condition along and off Gujarat coast would be “rough to very rough”. Hence, fishermen out at sea along and off Gujarat coast have been asked to return to the coast.
By Wednesday, the cyclonic storm is likely to intensify. Even though Cyclone Nilofar is in the same category as Cyclone Hudhud that hit the Visakhapatnam coast on October 12, its intensity might be less than that of Hudhud.
