Shaheen turns into severe cyclonic storm, says IMD
Cyclone Shaheen over central parts of north Arabian Sea, which turned into a severe cyclonic storm on Friday, is likely to intensify further and move towards Oman coast before weakening gradually, officials at India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday.
Though Shaheen may not cross the Indian coast, sea conditions will remain rough along Maharashtra and Gujarat coasts, and high (6-9m wave height/62 to 87 kmph) to very high (9-14 m wave height/70 to 116 kmph) over north Arabian Sea.
Shaheen, which was formed from the remnants of cyclone Gulab, is likely to cross the Oman coast on the morning of October 4 but its trajectory can be confirmed only in a day or so, the officials added.
“There may be some perturbations along the Maharashtra coast and seas will be very rough all along the Makran and Oman coasts. Fishermen have been advised not to go towards the north Arabian Sea. Conditions are favourable for intensification of Shaheen as the vertical wind shear is low and sea surface temperatures are slightly high, about 28 to 29 degree C,” Sunitha Devi, in-charge of cyclones at IMD, said. At 5.30 pm on Friday, the cyclone lay centred about 570 km west-northwest of Devbhoomi Dwarka (Gujarat), 370 km east-southeast of Chabahar Port (Iran) and 540 km eastsoutheast of Muscat (Oman), officials said. It is very likely to intensify further in the next 12 hours and move west-northwestwards, skirting Makran coast, during the next 36 hours. Thereafter, it is likely to recurve west-southwestwards and move towards Oman coast, across the Gulf of Oman, and weaken gradually, the officials added.
It is likely to cross the Oman coast as a cyclonic storm in the early hours of Monday, they said.
Shaheen was formed after the remnants of Gulab, which crossed north coastal Andhra Pradesh and south coastal Odisha on September 26, traversed central and west India and emerged into the Arabian Sea on September 30.