Weather Forecast, Cyclone Vayu HIGHLIGHTS: A deep depression over the Arabian Sea intensified into a “very severe cyclonic storm” Wednesday morning, the IMD said. As the cyclone continued to progress towards Saurashtra and Kutch regions of neighbouring Gujarat, the weather department upgrading its severity condition, forecast its landfall Thursday afternoon.
The state is on high alert and all possible arrangements have been done with the mission of “zero tolerance and zero casualty”. The Indian Army has deployed 10 columns in the coastal areas of Gujarat on Wednesday night. The Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy have also deployed helicopters and ships at nodal points in the state for relief and rescue operations and stationed a “highly mobile radar” at state capital Gandhinagar. The IMD had also issued a warning of heavy rains and strong winds for the next two days in at various areas of Saurashtra and Kutch. Fishermen have also been warned against going for fishing due to rough sea conditions.
Police persuade a family to move from their kuccha house to a cyclone shelter as Cyclone Vayu induced rainfall and high velocity winds in Bavaliya Vistar of Chanch village on Wednesday.
More than 2,15,000 people were evacuated today from low-lying areas of Gujarat as Cyclone Vayu inches closer to the state's coastline, according to news agency PTI. The latest weather report said that Cyclone Vayu has turned into a "very severe cyclonic storm" and an alert has been sounded in 10 districts of the state.
Fishermen are advised not to venture into Eastcentral Arabian Sea and along & off Maharashtra Coast on 12th & 13th; north Arabian sea and along & off Gujarat coast during 12th to 15 th June, 2019.
Cyclone Vayu likely to cross Gujarat coast between Dwarka and Veraval as a very severe cyclonic storm, IMD reported.
27 flights destined for Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport have been diverted till 1950 hours today. The Airports Authority of India on Wednesday announced that flight operations will remain suspended at five airports in Gujarat for 24 hours from midnight Wednesday in order to minimise the damage to airport infrastructure and to avoid inconvenience to passengers due to Cyclone Vayu.
A severe dust storm swept across Delhi NCR on Wednesday, with heavy showers expected in parts of the capital later in the evening.
“Clouding in #Delhi and NCR, intense #DelhiRains ahead. Expect some parts to see heavy showers as well. Stay safe folks!” Skymet Weather said in a tweet. Read full story here
As the "very severe" cyclonic storm 'Vayu' is inching closer to Gujarat coast and expected to make a landfall Thursday, the Army, the Air Force, and the NDRF teams are deployed and put on standby for rescue and relief operations along the coastal districts. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has also deployed ships and aircraft to enable search and rescue post the landfall of the cyclonic storm. (PTI)
Operations at all ports and airports located near the Gujarat coastline have been halted temporarily as a precautionary measure against cyclone 'Vayu', the state government said on Wednesday.
IN THE latest development, with the increased severity of the cyclonic storm Vayu that has now turned into a very severe cyclonic storm, a change in its path has been recorded along with a delayed expected landfall in Gujarat's coastal region. From the earlier expected landfall early morning of June 13 at Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva (Bhavnagar) around Veraval (Gir Somnath district) and Diu region, it is now predicted to make a landfall between Dwarka and Veraval.
As Cyclone Vayu is likely to hit Gujarat coast early Thursday morning, the South Gujarat region started witnessing high-speed winds, lightning and rain Tuesday onward, in which at least four persons were killed in accidents caused by rainfall. Four deaths were reported from Tapi and Dangs district as rooftops of many kutcha houses in these districts also flew away.
Around 12:30 pm today, due to heavy cyclonic winds and rains, an aluminium panel at the new Churchgate station building fell off which injured three people. Two persons sustained minor injuries whereas, 63-year-old Madhukar Narvekar who was rushed to the hospital, succumbed to his injuries and was declared dead on arrival. An enquiry has been set up to investigate the cause of the accident.
State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) has put its installations in the western offshore on high alert and restricted helicopter sorties as a cyclone gathers intensity over the Arabian Sea. ONGC produces the bulk of India's oil and gas from fields off the west coast, with several of its installations on these housing its operational personnel. Sources said the company has not evacuated any of its personnel from the living quarters on the western offshore fields like Mumbai High and Bassein but has stopped helicopter sorties to wellheads. (PTI)
As Cyclone Vayu inches closer to the Gujarat coast, Western Railways cancelled its services to Gujarat. Flights taking off and landing at Mumbai airport were also reportedly delayed by 20 minutes due to strong winds.
A heatwave gripping India has killed 36 people with the poorest workers bearing the brunt, national disaster management officials said on Wednesday, warning that the record temperatures were impacting more states than in previous years. India's capital Delhi recorded its highest-ever temperature of 48 degrees Celsius (118 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, while Churu in the northwestern state of Rajasthan, temperatures reached as high as 51C. (PTI)
PM Narendra Modi took to Twitter to inform that he had been praying for the safety and wellbeing of those affected by Cyclone Vayu in Gujarat. He added that the government and local agencies were apprising people of the latest developments which he urged people to closely follow.
Amreli district administration has evacuated more than 12,000 people from 23 villages of coastal Rajula and Jafrabad talukas as a precautionary measure before Cyclone Vayu makes landfall. The villages where these operations are taking place are less than 10 km away from the coastline: officers
Ahead of the cyclonic formation of Vayu which is likely to hit Gujarat, neighbouring state Maharashtra has issued a notice to shut down the beaches for the public along the Konkan stretch at the following places— Palgahar, Thane, Mumbai(city/suburban), Raigad, Ratnagiri & Sindhudurg. (ANI)
NDRF has deployed rescue teams in Gujarat's Morbi district as Vayu will hit the state in less than 24 hours. Meanwhile, Saurashtra and Kutch regions of the state experience very strong winds and rough sea conditions along the coastline. Very heavy rain has been forecast over Diu, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Botad, Devbhumi Dwarka, Gir and Somnath areas for the next two days.
Places like Porbandar, Rajkot, Surendranagar, Morvi, Mahuva, Jamnagar and Junagadh will also experience heavy rainfall.
As cyclone 'Vayu' advances towards the Gujarat coast, Odisha government Wednesday offered all help to the western state, which has launched a massive evacuation exercise to shift people from low-lying areas of Saurashtra and Kutch regions. Gujarat Chief Secretary J N Singh called up his Odisha counterpart A P Padhi and sought Odisha's advice on how to tackle the cyclonic storm on a war-footing, officials said Wednesday. (PTI)
In wake of the approaching cyclone "Vayu", over 1600 workers have already been shifted from Alang shipbreaking yard and Chara port, as all shipping activities including the RO-Pax ferry service, have been suspended all across the Gulf of Khambhat in Gujarat, official sources said. The arrival of vessels at Gujarat ports have already been suspended till June 14.
Around 36 companies of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are already assisting the local administration in the process, he said. As a precautionary measure, holiday has been declared in schools, colleges and 'anganwadis' (government-run women and child care centres) on June 12 and June 13 in these 10 districts, he said. The Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Air Force and the Border Security Force have been put on high alert.
As cyclone Vayu advances towards the Gujarat coast, the state government launched a massive evacuation exercise to shift about three lakh people from low-lying areas of Saurashtra and Kutch regions, officials said Wednesday. According to the latest weather information, the cyclone has intensified into a "very severe cyclonic storm" and is located around 340 km south of Gujarat's Veraval coast. It would hit the coast near Veraval as a very severe cyclonic storm "with a wind speed of 145 to 155 kmph gusting to 170 kmph around morning of June 13," a release issued by the meteorological department said. (PTI)
While Vayu is unlikely to result in widespread destruction, it is a cause for concern for a different reason. It is likely to halt the northward progression of the monsoon for a few days. The arrival of the monsoon has already been delayed, hitting the Kerala coast on June 8 instead of June 1. The cyclone is expected to interfere with normal progression, by sucking all the moisture from the monsoon winds towards itself. Amitabh Sinha explains here
To minimise human casualty, Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani said his government will start shifting people living in coastal areas to safer locations from tomorrow. The Gujarat administration is put on high alert to deal with cyclone ‘Vayu’, officials said. CM Rupani said people living in the coastal belt would be shifted to safer places. He said that the entire coastline, starting from Kutch to south Gujarat, has been put on “high alert”. The state government has advised fishermen against venturing into the sea in the next few days, while ports have been directed to flag a danger signal. Read more here
Mumbai and some neighbouring coastal areas of Maharashtra witnessed a windy Wednesday morning as cyclone 'Vayu' turned into a "very severe cyclonic storm", the weather department said. As the cyclone continued to progress towards Saurashtra and Kutch regions of neighbouring Gujarat, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) upgraded its severity condition. (PTI)
Delhiites may get some respite from the oppressive heat as gusty winds and thunderstorm are likely in the later half of the day, a Meteorological Department official said. The maximum temperature would be around 42 degrees Celsius. (PTI)
With Cyclonic storm “Vayu” expected to hit Gujarat, the Army has deployed 10 columns in the coastal areas of the state on Wednesday night. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has also deployed helicopters at nodal points in the state for relief and rescue operations and stationed a “highly mobile radar” at state capital Gandhinagar.
The columns have asked to be placed at all district headquarters of Jamnagar, Gir Somnath, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Junagadh, Porbandar, Morbi, Bhavnagar, Amerli and Rajkot by 12 pm on Thursday. The deployment has been done after requisition by the Gujarat government, stated an official release. Read more here
Welcome to The Indian Express live blog on the weather. Get real-time updates on the weather and temperature in Noida, Kerala, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Lucknow, Kolkata as well as Cyclone Vayu in Gujarat.