Cyclone Nilofar to hit Gujarat as 'depression'

In a huge relief for people living near Gujarat's coastal areas, the MeT department on Thursday said that 'Nilofar', earlier dubbed as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) over west-central Arabian sea, is likely to make a landfall near Naliya in Kutch on Friday as a 'depression'.

"As it moved further into the sea during the past six hours, it has weakened and become a 'severe cyclonic storm' from VSCS. Nilofar is now expected to hit Naliya and other parts of Kutch on October 31 evening with low intensity, which can be called as depression, not as marginal cyclonic storm," state MeT department official Ajay Kumar said. As per the latest MeT bulletin, severe cyclonic storm Nilofar has moved east-northeastwards during the past six hours and currently lay centred at about 620 kms west-southwest of Naliya in Kutch.

"It would move northwestwards and rapidly weaken into a depression over northeast Arabian Sea off north Gujarat coast by October 31 evening," said the bulletin. According to MeT, moderate rainfall at most places in the state would occur under the influence of that system. "The wind speed would remain between 40 kmph and a maximum of 60 kmph during that time. Some isolated places of Kutch and Saurashtra may get heavy to very heavy rains during the next 48 hours," said Kumar.