Cyclone spares Guj, changes course to Oman

Manas Dasgupta

Ahmedabad, June 13

Gujarat escaped the threats from “Vayu” as the cyclonic storm lost its severity and moved away from the Saurashtra coast towards Oman late this afternoon, leaving on its trail widespread rainfall in the entire coastal areas of Saurashtra and the south Gujarat regions bringing relief from sweltering heat.

A large number of people in the coastal areas who were evacuated to safer places to avoid any loss of life have already begun the return journey from the relief centres where they were lodged.

Keeping the high alert for the next 12 hours, the weather bureau, however, expressed the apprehension that Vayu might cause further delay in the onset of monsoon in Gujarat and other parts of western India and advancement to central and northern Indian states. The delay could go up to seven to 10 days till the new monsoon system developed in the Arabian Sea.

After reaching close to about 110 km from the Veraval coast in Gir-Somnath district, the cyclone moved north-westwards towards Oman skirting the Saurashtra coast but only after giving the state administration a hint of the destruction it would have caused if it passed over the land after striking the coast anywhere between Veraval and Bhavnagar as was predicted earlier.

Gusty heavy winds under the impact of the storm blew away many tin sheds and thatched houses and uprooted many trees all along the Saurashtra coast, while five to six metre high tides inundated many coastal areas in the Saurashtra and south Gujarat regions.