Cyclone Gulab: Depression to move west and weaken in next 6 hours, says IMD

The India Metrological Department (IMD) on Tuesday morning informed that the depression formed after the Cyclonic Storm GULAB over Telangana and adjoining areas of Marathwada and Vidarbha is likely to weaken further in the coming hours. The department said that the depression is likely to move west-north-westwards and thus weaken into a Well-Marked Low-Pressure Area during the next six hours. The cyclone has already weakened since Monday morning.

According to the IMD, the depression, remnant of the storm is likely to weaken in the Telangana, Andhra Pradesh region, where it wreaked havoc in the last few days. The storm is now likely to emerge into the northeast Arabian Sea and adjoining Gujarat coast around 30th September. It also informed that there remains a possibility of the depression further intensifying over the northeast Arabian Sea during the subsequent 24 hours. All government offices, including schools, colleges and educational institutions in Telangana remains closed on Tuesday due to the cyclone.

Heavy rains in Telangana

Telangana and its adjoining areas are currently under the impact of a deep depression, which is bringing heavy to extremely heavy rain. Earlier, Sushant Kumar Behera, Team Commandant, NDRF had said that there remained a flash flood warning in the state. "This Kalingapatnam area is vulnerable, when cyclone Gulab made landfall here many trees were uprooted and roads were blocked. Since yesterday our team is clearing the roads. Today also we removed two trees from the road. The landfall was not intense and we did not evacuate any people but after the cyclone, a flood situation may arise and we may evacuate people. Our team is ready to handle any situation," Behera told ANI. 

Despite the weakening of Cyclone Gulab, the IMD issued a Flash Flood Risk alert for several districts in Telangana on Monday. According to it, Badradri Kothagudem, Khammam, Adilabad, Bhuvanagiri, Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal, Warangal, Peddapalley Karimnagar, Rajanna Siricilla, Jayashankar Bhupalpalle, Mulugu, Jagitial, Mahbubabad, and Janagoan stood chances to face flash floods. The NDRF teams are kept ready in all the districts along with control rooms being set up. Rescue and relief teams have also been kept on high alert to quickly respond to any situation. Both Telangana, as well as Andhra Pradesh, is under high alert.

Image: PTI