IMD: Cyclone Maha to make landfall on the Gujarat coast today

With the expectation of Cyclone Maha's landfall on the coast between Devbhumi-Dwarka district and Diu on Thursday, The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced cyclone alert for the Gujarat coast along. 

"The Very Severe Cyclonic storm MAHA over east-central and adjoining west-central the Arabian Sea moved eastwards with a speed of 21 kmph during the past six hours. It is very likely to cross Gujarat coast around Diu as a Cyclonic Storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 70-80 Kmph gusting to 90 Kmph around noon of November 7, 2019," the IMD stated in its weather warning bulletin today.

The cyclone is likely to escalate into a deep depression during the next 12 hours and into a Cyclonic Storm during the subsequent 24 hours. It is very likely to move west-northwestwards initially and then north-northwestwards, towards West Bengal and adjoining north Odisha and Bangladesh coasts.

Around 140 NDRF personnel have been deployed and nearly eight tonnes of relief material has been put in place. About 100 more personnel are being sent to Ahmedabad to further spread the rescue and relief operations in the state. Taking to Twitter,  NDRF stated that a total of 35 teams was deployed in Gujarat and the Diu district of Union territory Daman and Diu.

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Extreme Weather Conditions

Extreme weather conditions are also likely to prevail in Amreli, Gir-Somnath, Junagadh, Anand, Ahmedabad, Botad and Rajkot districts. State Agriculture Minister R C Faldu said district officials were directed about the steps to be taken in the wake of the possible impact by Maha. "Ministers would be assigned different districts and they will leave for those districts by Monday evening to oversee the relief operations," he said. Meanwhile, in Surat city, municipal authorities have started removing hoardings as part of precautionary measures. Citizens were also asked not to go near Dumas beach or visit areas near the Tapi river. Devbhumi-Dwarka District Collector N K Meena held a meeting of top officials and instructed them not to leave their assigned places.

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READ:Cyclone 'Maha' may weaken before Nov 7 landfall on Gujarat coast