Cyclone Vayu will not hit Gujarat of India as it has changed its trajectory overnight and moved further into the sea, the weather department has said.
However, the western coast continues to be on high alert as strong winds and rough seas are expected for the next 24 to 48 hours.
Over three lakh people were evacuated from coastal Gujarat and the Union Terriroty of Diu on Wednesday (June 12).
As many as 52 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed for rescue and relief operations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also tweeted to say that the centre was constantly monitoring the situation.
Here are the top 10 updates on Cyclone Vayu:
"Cyclone Vayu won't hit Gujarat. It will pass nearby from Veraval, Porbandar and Dwarka. Its effect will be seen on the coastal regions as there will be heavy wind speed and heavy rain as well," Manorama Mohanty of the Met Department said in Ahmedabad. The"very severe cyclonic storm" was earlier expected to hit the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Veraval in the south this afternoon.
The Western Railways cancelled 70 trains and curtailed the journeys of 28 others.
All schools and colleges along the coastline will remain closed until the warning has passed, and naval diving teams have been kept on standby.
Flight operations at airports in Porbandar, Diu, Bhavnagar, Keshod and Kandla have been suspended for 24 hours from midnight. A decision on the Surat airport will be taken after reviewing weather conditions.
Cyclone Vayu made an impact in nearby Mumbai too, with nearly 400 flights being affected due to bad weather. According to PTI, as many as 194 departures and 192 arrivals were delayed, and at least two flights had to be diverted.
The NDRF, Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Air Force and the Border Security Force have been put on high alert.
The Gujarat coast is also home to two major ports, Deendayal and Adani in the Gulf of Kutch, as well as the Jamnagar oil refinery, the world's largest. All ports in Gujarat halted the berthing of vessels from Wednesday.
Fishermen have also been advised against venturing the sea along the Gujarat coast until June 15. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has already asked tourists in areas such as Dwarka, Somnath, Sasan and Kutch to leave for safer places.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has advised people to closely follow real-time information being disseminated by the authorities. "Praying for the safety and well-being of all those affected by Cyclone Vayu. The Government and local agencies are providing real-time information, which I urge those in affected areas to closely follow," he tweeted.
"Vayu", which means wind in Sanskrit and Hindi, comes after Cyclone Fani caused widespread destruction in Odisha last month.
NDTV
BDST: 1120 HRS, JUNE 13, 2019
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