The low pressure might result in a severe cyclone and cross north Maharashtra and south Gujarat coasts on June 3. The cyclone will have an impact on state capital Mumbai when it crosses Maharashtra, IMD said in a tweet.
It is located about 370 kilometers (km) southwest of Panjim; 690 km south-southwest of Mumbai and 920 km south-south-west of Surat. The depression likely to intensify into a deep depression over the next 12 hours and a severe cyclonic storm, called Nisarga, by Wednesday.
The cyclone track issued by India Meteorological Department (IMD) authorities shows that Nisarga will cross very close to the Mumbai coast while entering the land. Maharashtra is on a pre-cyclone alert as very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is expected in parts of the state on Wednesday and Thursday.
According to IMD, the cyclone which is currently about 700 km of Mumbai, is expected to have a speed of 105-110 kmph when it crosses the coast on the evening of June 3.
"It will have an impact on Mumbai," IMD director general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
The depression will intensify into a deep depression, the third and fourth stage of any cyclone formation, by today evening, IMD said.
Earlier today, Mumbai and some neighboring areas of Thane and Palghar experienced light rain.
Fishermen have been advised to avoid venturing into the east-central Arabian Sea along and off Maharashtra coast.
“We’re expecting rapid intensification of the cyclonic system once formed because sea surface temperature is high, wind shear (variation in wind velocity) is low and ocean heat potential is also high,” said Sunita Devi, who is in-charge of cyclones at IMD, on Sunday.CM Uddhav Thackeray has also appealed to the fisherman to avoid going to the see for the next 2-3 days.
With the increasing number of Coronavirus cases in the state of Maharashtra, Cyclone Nisarga might appear as a challenge for the state government and its people.
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