Cyclone Tej Likely To Intensify As ‘Severe’ Storm Tomorrow, Will Not Impact Gujarat

Cyclone Tej is likely to intensify as "severe" storm tomorrow, said the IMD, adding that it will not impact Gujarat.

Cyclone Tej to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm on Sunday ( Image Source :X/@Indiametdept )

A cyclonic storm taking form in the southwest Arabian Sea has been predicted to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm on Sunday and move towards the south coasts of Oman and adjoining Yemen, said the India Meteorological Department on Saturday. 

“Deep depression over SW Arabian Sea moved W-NW about 820 km E-SE of Socotra (Yemen) and 1100 km S-SE of Salalah Airport (Oman). To intensify into a CS over SW Arabian Sea during next 06 hours and further severe cyclonic storm in the evening of 22 Oct,” said the weather department on X.

The IMD also said that the cyclone will not have any impact on Gujarat. Cyclones, however, change their course sometimes. 

According to the formula followed for naming cyclones in the Indian Ocean Region, it will be called 'Tej'.

Deep depression over SW Arabian Sea moved W-NW about 820 km E-SE of Socotra (Yemen) and 1100 km S-SE of Salalah Airport (Oman). To intensify into a CS over SW Arabian Sea during next 06 hours and further severe cyclonic storm in the evening of 22 Oct pic.twitter.com/UnsHhnDFCN

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) October 20, 2023

"Since the cyclone would move towards west-northwest, it may not have any impact on Gujarat (which lies to the east). Weather in Gujarat will remain dry for the next seven days," Monarama Mohanty, director of the Meteorological Centre in Ahmedabad told news agency PTI. 

The relief commissioner for the state, Alok Kumar Pandey said as of now there was no threat as the storm was heading towards Gujarat.

In an earlier statement, the IMD said that a low-pressure area over the southeast and southwest Arabian Sea has developed into a depression and is expected to intensify into a cyclonic storm by October 21 morning. 

Various regions of Gujarat, especially Kutch and parts of Saurashtra, witnessed severe destruction this year in June after Cyclone Biparjoy ripped through the state. The cyclone was initially heading westward but later changed direction and made landfall in Kutch.