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The very severe cyclonic storm ‘Nilofar’ on Thursday weakened into a severe cyclonic storm and is expected to rapidly weaken into a depression before landfall on Friday evening, easing the threat off the Gujarat coast.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) the now severe cyclonic storm Nilofar in the Arabian sea was centered today morning about 620 km west-southwest of Naliya (Gujarat) and 650 km south-southwest of Karachi (Pakistan). The wind speed recorded was 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph today morning. By Thursday night the storm is expected to weaken on fold into cyclonic storm and wind speed is likely to come down to 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph.
The storm will then move northeastwards and rapidly weaken into a depression over northeast Arabian Sea off north Gujarat coast by October 31 evening, the weather department stated.
The forecast of heavy to very heavy to rain under the influence of the storm has now been downgraded and one can now expect “moderate rainfall at most places with isolated heavy to very heavy falls over Kutch and coastal districts of Saurashtra during next 48 hours.”
The system also had influence on the weather in other parts of the state with south and central Gujarat experiencing heavy cloud since Thursday morning.
In Kutch, 10,500 people were shifted by the district administration ahead of the cyclone Nilofar’s landfall.
Meanwhile, the market yards across Saurashtra region have been asked to close down for next two days by the state government. “The market will be closed for next two days as per government directives in wake of the cyclone,” said chairman of Rajkot Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) , Hardevsinh Jadeja.
He further informed that farmers have been instructed not to bring their produce to the market for two days. “We have also cleared most of the stock lying in the yard which mostly include groundnut, cotton and wheat,” Jadeja added.
