OCKHI HEADS TO GUJARAT, MAHA
IMD issues rainfall warning for Guj, forecasts cyclone’s movement towards northnortheast to settle as deep depression
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Cyclone Ockhi, which left behind a trail of destruction in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Lakshadweep, is now over the Arabian Sea, around 690km south-southwest of Mumbai and 870km south-southwest of Gujarat’s Surat, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Cyclone Ockhi, which left behind a trail of destruction in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Lakshadweep, is now over the Arabian Sea around 690km south-southwest of Mumbai and 870km south-southwest of Gujarat’s Surat, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday.
“It is likely to move north-northeastwards, weaken gradually and cross south Gujarat and north Maharashtra coasts by early Tuesday morning and settle as a deep depression,” department’s director general KJ Ramesh said.
“We have issued heavy rainfall warnings for Gujarat, while light to moderate rain is expected in isolated areas in north Konkan, including Mumbai, on Tuesday,” Ramesh added.
The scale of the cyclone was reduced from ‘very severe’ on Sunday to ‘severe’, the weather department said. It has warned fisherman along the Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka coastline not to venture into the sea from Monday to Wednesday.
The high winds and persistent rains hit the southern districts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu last week and caused loss to life and property.
The death toll climbed to 28 in Kerala after a rescue team recovered two more bodies on Monday and officials said at least 90 people were still missing in the state.
Authorities in Tamil Nadu said on Sunday that the number of deaths in the state due to Cyclone Ockhi has reached 19. They also said that at least 690
THE DEATH TOLL IN KERALA CLIMBED TO 28 AFTER A RESCUE TEAM RECOVERED TWO MORE BODIES ON MONDAY AND OFFICIALS SAID AT LEAST 90 PEOPLE WERE STILL MISSING IN THE STATE
people have been rescued so far and 96 were still missing.
They added that 63 people have been hospitalised and 74 houses were fully damaged and 1,122 partially damaged.
A naval ship on Monday located a fishing boat with nine crew members, reportedly missing from Kochi since the last 15 days, off Lakshadweep, a defence spokesperson said.
“All of them are safe. They are coming on their own in their boat to Kochi,” he said.
The boat, Island Queen, was located by INS Kolkata 132 nautical miles north of Kavaratti in Lakshadweep, he said. The local administration had requested the navy to search for it, he added.
The vessel was reportedly missing for last 15 days and a request was received from local administration to search for it, he added.
The spokesperson added that the naval ship continued with them for some time before going for another rescue operation.
Meanwhile, in a move to help the damaging consequences of cyclone Ockhi, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday sent ₹2 crore to the Prime Minister’s relief fund.