Cyclone Shakhti to weaken from October 6, IMD downgrades alert for Mumbai rain
The first cyclonic storm after the monsoon season, cyclone Shakhti churned up the Arabian Sea with a wind speed of 100kmph and gusting from Saturday.
Cyclone Shakhti is expected to weaken gradually from Monday morning and will recurve to move towards the east, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted. As of Sunday, the cyclone is likely to continue moving west-southwestwards and will reach the northwest and adjoining west-central Arabian Sea by the evening.
The first cyclonic storm after the monsoon season, cyclone Shakhti churned up the Arabian Sea with a wind speed on 100kmph and gusting from Saturday.
While parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, were put on an alert for heavy rains during the cyclone, the IMD significantly downgraded its forecast for Mumbai and surrounding areas on Sunday in the wake of Cyclone Shakhti.
Contrary to earlier warnings, the weather department said that the city is not expected to see heavy or even moderate rain in the coming days. In a five-day weather forecast issued on Saturday, the IMD stated that only light, scattered rain or drizzles are likely in Mumbai until October 8.
Between October 3-5, wind speed reaching 45-55 kmph and gusting to 65 kmph is likely to prevail over the North Maharashtra coast. The wind speed may increase depending on the cyclone's intensity.
Heavy to very heavy rains are predicted in the interior parts of Maharashtra, specifically in parts of Marathwada and East Vidarbha. There is also a possibility of flooding in low-lying areas of North Konkan.
Under the influence of the cyclonic storm, sea conditions are likely to be rough to very rough along and off the Gujarat-North Maharashtra coast and the Pakistan coast until Sunday, news agency PTI reported .
The weather office has warned fishermen not to venture into the northwest Arabian Sea, adjoining areas of the northeast Arabian Sea, central Arabian Sea and along and off the Gujarat-north Maharashtra coasts until Tuesday.
The cyclone has been named Shakhti, a name suggested by Sri Lanka as per the convention followed by the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones. The names of the cyclones are suggested by 13 countries in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea rim.
The weather department also predicted moderate to heavy rainfall for several districts in Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, on Saturday.
