Gujarat escapes cyclone Maha fury, rains likely for next 2 days: Everything we know

The ‘depression’ is about 100 km south of Veraval coast of Gujarat, the IMD said in a release, reported news agency PTI. “It is very likely to move east-northeastwards and weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area off the south Gujarat coast during next 12 hours,” it said.

Maha cyclone rain clouds over Mumbai skyline. (Express Photo)

The weather system would bring light to moderate rain in most parts of Gujarat during the next two days, it added. “‘Maha’ is no longer a cyclone. It has become a depression into the sea without hitting the Gujarat coast. Rain may occur in most districts during the next two days,” the Ahmedabad IMD centre’s director Jayanta Sarkar said.

However, fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea during the next 12 hours as the weather conditions there will be “rough to very rough” with wind speed reaching up to 40 to 50 km per hour, said the IMD release. Due to the current weather system, unseasonal rain occurred in many parts of Gujarat between 6 am and 12 noon on Thursday.

During that period, Thasra taluka in Kheda district received the highest 55 mm rainfall, followed by Umarpada in Surat (53mm), Jafrabad in Amreli (36mm), Kukarmunda in Tapi (26mm), Anklav in Anand (25mm) and Godhra in Panchmahal (24mm), a release issued by the Gujarat government said.

Meanwhile, another cyclone ‘Bulbul’ has formed over the Bay of Bengal and is likely to intensify into a “very severe” cyclonic storm over the next two days. It is set to head towards West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts, skirting Odisha, the IMD said on Thursday. In view of the situation, the state government on Thursday issued a revised advisory asking the districts to brace up for possible flood-like situation and waterlogging.

-With PTI inputs