Gandhinagar: As cyclone 'Vayu' advances towards the Gujarat coast, the state government launched a massive evacuation exercise to shift about 300,000 people from low-lying areas of Saurashtra and Kutch regions, claims government report on Wednesday.
According to the latest weather information from Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone has intensified into a "very severe cyclonic storm" and is located around 340 km south of Gujarat's Veraval coast.
Also, in Mumbai and some neighbouring coastal areas of Maharashtra witnessed a windy Wednesday morning as cyclone 'Vayu' turned into a "very severe cyclonic storm", said the IMD sources.
"Cyclone Vayu has turned into a very severe cyclonic storm. It would cause gusty winds to blow at a speed of 145 kmph to 170 kmph by Thursday morning," the IMD said further.
The Indian Meteorological Department has said that thunderstorm and lightning accompanied with gusty wind (40-50kmph) is very likely at isolated places in the districts of North Gujarat region including Banaskantha and Sabarkantha today and tomorrow (Thursday).
The alert comes in wake of Cyclone Vayu, which is likely to make landfall over the Saurashtra coast of Gujarat as a severe cyclonic storm early Thursday morning with winds gusting up to 135 kmph and storm surges of up to 1.5 metres. Tropical Cyclone Vayu, which formed Monday, strengthened on Tuesday into a hurricane-strength tropical cyclone (meaning winds in excess of 120 kph, or 75 mph) in the Arabian Sea. Gujarat government has declared a two-day holiday for all the schools and colleges located in several parts of Gujarat.
Cyclone Vayu: Thunderstorm, lightning alert issued for various districts of Gujarat
The Indian Meteorological Department has said that thunderstorm and lightning accompanied with gusty wind (40-50kmph) is very likely at isolated places in the districts of North Gujarat region including Banaskantha and Sabarkantha today and tomorrow.
Heavy to very heavy rains very likely at isolated places in Saurashtra ta Amreli, Bhavnagar, Gir Somnath, Junagadh and Diu. Heavy rains are very likely at isolated places in districts of South Gujarat region, in Navsari, Valsad, Daman, Dadra Nagar Haveli on 12 June, according to IMD.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani requests tourists to leave for a safer place
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has appealed the tourists visiting the state to leave for a safer place after the afternoon of June 12, in the view of Cyclone Vayu.
"I request the tourists visiting Gujarat and going to Dwarka, Somnath, Sasan, Kutch, to leave for safer places after the afternoon of June 12 that you don't get harmed due to the cyclone. If it is possible, you can go back, it is a request," he said.
He said that state transport services will be asked to help the tourists to move to safer places.
IAF C-17 aircraft lands at Jamnagar along with rescue team led by NDRF
The IAF C-17 aircraft, which planned to airlift about 160 personnel of NDRF from Vijayawada, has landed at Jamnagar with the team to carry out the humanitarian aid and disaster relief (HADR) missions for the people affected by Cyclone Vayu in the state.