Widespread rainfall in state to continue today

According to the India Meteorological Department, most places in Gujarat are expected to receive “light to moderate rainfall”, while “heavy to extremely heavy rainfall” is predicted at isolated places of Saurashtra and Kutch on Saturday, too. “Isolated heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is likely over north Gujarat region on June 16 and over north Gujarat region on June 17 as the severe cyclonic storm is very likely to move nearly east-northeast wards and weaken further into a deep depression over Saurashtra and Kutch around evening of June 16,” the Met department stated.

“After the landfall, the system moved northeastwards, weakened gradually into a severe cyclonic storm and is likely to maintain the intensity of cyclonic storm till afternoon of June 16 and thereafter, it will weaken gradually into a deep depression around evening,” the IMD cyclone bulletin issued Friday stated.

The IMD has issued a wind warning along and off Saurashtra and Kutch coasts (Kutch, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Junagarh and Morbi districts), including Gulf of Kutch as “gale wind speed reaching 75-85 kmph gusting to 95 kmph is likely to prevail over Kutch, Gulf of Kutch and adjoining areas; 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph is likely to prevail over northern districts of Saurashtra and 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph over southern districts of Saurashtra”.

The cyclone is likely to become squally with the wind speed reaching 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph from June 16 evening till midnight over the above regions, the IMD added.

Widespread rainfall lashed 171 talukas of the total 255 in the state Thursday and early morning Friday.

Within the 10 hours between 6 am and 4 pm, Anjar (159 mm), Gandhidham (128 mm), Mandvi (122 mm), Bhuj (119 mm), Mundra (117 mm), Bhachau (114 mm) and Rapar (79 mm) in Kutch received heavy rainfall.