Parts of the western coast of India will face a cyclonic storm in the coming days. While the Indian Meteorological Department had earlier predicted that the onset of monsoon in Kerala would be from June 1, it is likely that other states too will be facing some turbulent weather in the coming days.
According to a IMD tweet, a "low pressure area would form over southeast-east-central Arabian Sea during next 48 hours".
The IMD said that this low pressure area would intensify into depression in the coming hours and could even gain in intensity. It added that this would "move north-northwestwards towards Gujarat & north Maharashtra coasts till 3rd June".
In a statement the IMD had added that rainfall was likely many parts of the country owing to the cyclonic storm. The Meteorological Department predicted light to moderate rainfall for most places with "isolated heavy to very heavy falls very likely over Lakshadweep area, Kerala and Coastal Karnataka on May 31 and June 1". Rainfall was also "very likely over the Konkan region and Goa on June 2 and 3, the weather department said.
Reacting to the same, Maharashtrs Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray urged fishermen to avoid venturing out.
"In the next 2-3 days, a cyclone is expected to hit us. I request fishermen to avoid fishing in the sea for next 3-4 days," Thackeray was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Gujarat too has been asked to take precautionary measures. As per a PTI report, the IMD said on Sunday that fishermen who have ventured into the Arabian sea along the north and south Gujarat coasts should return by Sunday and not go out till June 4 as a low pressure area formed over sea is likely to further intensify into a cyclonic storm and reach south Gujarat coasts by June 3.
The Ahmedabad meteorological centre of IMD also advised hoisting of "distant cautionary (DC)-1" storm warning signals at all ports on north and south Gujarat coasts, as the sea condition was very likely to be "rough to very rough," with wind speed reaching 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 mph by June 4.
(With inputs from agencies)
