Cyclone Shaheen To Intensify In Next 12 Hrs. Heavy Rain Alert For Saurashtra In Gujarat And Konkan Region

The low-pressure area created due to Cyclone Storm Gulab is now in the Gujarat coast, Northeast Arabian sea and will intensify into a depression by Thursday.

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New Delhi: After the Cyclone 'Gulab' hit the Bay of Bengal and impacted the eastern coast, Cyclone Shaheen is likely to form over the northeast Arabian Sea on Thursday night or Friday morning, and the rare condition is likely to bring heavy to very heavy rain in Konkan region and Gujarat's Saurashtra, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The name ‘Shaheen’ is given by Qatar, which is a part of the member countries for the naming of a tropical cyclone in the Indian Ocean.

The low-pressure area created due to Cyclone Storm Gulab is now in the Gujarat coast, Northeast Arabian sea, and will intensify into a depression by Thursday. From October 1, it will become a new cyclone named 'Shaheen', news agency ANI quoted IMD senior scientist RK Jenamani as saying.

What are affected areas?

The well-marked low-pressure area is lying over Gujarat's Saurashtra region and will likely move west-northwestwards, emerge into the northeast Arabian Sea and intensify into a depression before moving further west-northwestwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm, Shaheen, during the subsequent 24 hours, the weather department predicted in its bulletin issued on Thursday.

It is then likely to continue west-northwestwards, close to Pakistan - Mekran coasts, moving away from the Indian coast. A well-marked low-pressure area is also lying over Jharkhand and adjoining West Bengal. The east-west trough is running from cyclonic circulation associated with the low-pressure area over Saurashtra, IMD said.

Under the influence of these systems, heavy to very heavy rain is likely at isolated places over Saurashtra & Kutch and heavy rain is likely at isolated places over Gujarat region, north Konkan, Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand.

Heavy rainfall is also likely at isolated places in Bihar till October 3, according to the weather department.

Fishermen have been advised to avoid venturing into north and adjoining central Arabian Sea and along and off Gujarat and north Maharashtra coasts till October 2.