Cyclone Vayu to weaken before recurving towards Gujarat coast

Cyclone Vayu is likely to gradually weaken into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours before it recurves and crosses the Gujarat coast by Monday midnight as a depression, the meteorological department said.

On Sunday morning, the cyclone remained centred about 470 km west-southwest of Porbandar, 440 km southwest of Dwarka and 545 km southwest of Bhuj, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a bulletin.

The severe cyclonic storm over northeast and adjoining east-central Arabian Sea moved nearly westwards with a speed of about 12 kmph in the last six hours, it said.

"It lay centered at 8.30 am on June 16 near latitude 20.8N and longitude 65.2E over northeast and adjoining northwest and central Arabian Sea. The system is very likely to weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours," it said.

"It is very likely to move west-northwestwards during the next six hours, gradually recurve thereafter northeastwards and cross north Gujarat coast by June 17 midnight as a depression," the IMD said.

North Gujarat and Saurashtra-Kutch regions are likely to receive widespread rainfall on Monday, while the remaining parts of the state are likely to get scattered showers, it said.

On Tuesday, the entire state will receive fairly widespread rainfall, it said.

The IMD also forecast heavy rains at isolated places in Saurashtra-Kutch regions on Monday, and heavy to very heavy rains in north Gujarat and the districts in Saurashtra-Kutch on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, rainfall in Ahmedabad and rest of the state brought respite from the scorching heat. The maximum temperature in Ahmedabad is expected to hover around 37 degree Celsius, the IMD said.