Cyclone expected to hit Maharashtra; CM Uddhav warns fishermen against venturing into sea

After reports that a cyclone is expected to hit the Arabian Sea, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday requested fishermen to avoid venturing into the sea. Addressing a press conference, CM Uddhav said, "In the next 2-3 days, a cyclone is expected to hit us. I request fishermen to avoid fishing in the sea for the next 3-4 days.

A low-pressure area developing over the Arabian sea is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm in the next 48 hours and hit the coasts of Maharashtra and Gujarat, warned the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The cyclonic storm is set to hit north Maharashtra and south Gujarat coasts around June 3 morning.

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"Fishermen out at sea are advised to return to coasts by May 31. They are advised not to venture along and off south Gujarat coast on June 2, and along and off north and south Gujarat coast on June 3-4," it added.

The cyclonic storm will be accompanied by heavy rains with strong winds in places like Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Palghar, Vapi, Valsad, Surat, Diu-Daman from Tuesday night to Thursday morning. Seas will be very rough, added the weather body. 

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Cyclone ‘Nisarga’ expected to hit Mumbai

Currently, this low-pressure area is situated along the Karnataka-Goa coast and is said to move northward within the next 60 hours and intensify into Category 1 Cyclone Nisarga. There is a chance of further intensification of the cyclone into Category 2. After that, it is said to recurve northeast and cross Mumbai and Diu between Wednesday and Thursday.

Reportedly, in view of the developing Cyclone situation in the Arabian Sea, NDRF teams are also being deployed in the State of Maharashtra. The build-up of a cyclonic storm in Gujarat and Maharashtra comes just days after super cyclone Amphan wreaked havoc in West Bengal and Odisha. 

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Colour-code warnings

The IMD has four colour-coded warnings as per the intensity of any weather system -- green, yellow, orange and the last one being red. It has issued an orange-colour coded warning to Kerala, coastal Karnataka, Goa and coastal Maharashtra for June 1. The same warning applies to coastal Maharashtra and Goa for June 2. For June 3, a red-coloured coded warning has been issued to coastal Maharashtra and Goa and an orange coloured warning to Gujarat. 

The red-coloured warning has been issued to coastal Maharashtra, Goa and entire Gujarat for June 4, Sathi Devi, the head of the National Weather Forecasting Centre, said. 

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(With inputs from ANI)