Cyclone Nisarga to hit Maharashtra, Gujarat tomorrow

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 1

The ‘depression’ over east-central and adjoining south-east Arabian Sea is expected to make a landfall as ‘severe cyclone’ on June 3, the IMD today said. While a ‘yellow’ alert has been sounded for both Maharashtra and Gujarat coasts, the areas expected to be most affected are coastal parts of Maharashtra — Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts.

If and when it intensifies into a ‘cyclone’, it will be named Nisarga as per the established protocol for tropical storms in the Indian Ocean region.

“According to our assessment, it may make a landfall as severe cyclone around the afternoon of June 3. The effect is expected to be more on the Maharashtra coast, Mumbai, Thane, Raigarh, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts,” said IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra.

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Currently positioned as ‘depression’, the tropical storm is “very likely to intensify into a deep depression during the next six hours and further into a cyclone during the subsequent 24 hours,” says the IMD.

Notably, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea have witnessed “above normal” cyclogenesis in past two years. India and Bangladesh have already been hit by first major storm of the season, super cyclone Amphan.

This particular system is likely to move nearly northwards initially till the morning of June 2 then re-curve north northeastwards and cross north Maharashtra and south Gujarat coasts between Harihareshwar (Raigad, Maharashtra) and Daman during the afternoon of June 3.