Ahmedabad: A deep depression over the Arabian Sea has intensified into a cyclonic storm, named Vayu, and is likely to hit the Gujarat coast on Thursday.
The Indian Meteorological department issued a warning on Tuesday stating that heavy rains and winds at a speed of over 110 km can be expected on June 13 and June 14 in the coastal areas of the Saurashtra and Kutch regions.
Director of the State Meteorological Centre, Dr Jayant Sarkar, said the cyclone is very likely to move northward and cross the Gujarat coast between Porbandar-Mahuva and Veraval-Diu as a severe cyclonic storm with wind speed 110-120 km which can go up to 135 kmph early on June 13.
Cyclone Vayu would bring heavy rainfall in Saurashtra as well as in south Gujarat. The government has issued a high alert and all agencies concerned have been given strict instructions to be ready.
“We are in constant touch with the Centre. A total of 26 teams of the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed at various places. We have roped in the Army and Coast Guard for rescue and relief work. We will start shifting the people living in the coastal areas to safer places to avoid any casualty,’ Mr Pankaj Kumar, additional revenue secretary, told mediapersons.
Officials are learnt to be in touch with their Odisha counterparts to learn disaster management techniques they adopted when Cyclone Fani hit the state recently.
The government has cancelled the leave of all officials concerned and called them to join duty.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani is personally monitoring the situation.
