High alert issued in Gujarat and Maharashtra in view of Cyclone Ockhi

High alert has been issued in Gujarat and Maharashtra in view of Cyclone Ockhi. Sea conditions will remain rough to very rough along and off north Maharashtra and South Gujarat coasts till tomorrow. The Ministry of Earth Science said, light to moderate rain at most places with heavy rainfall at isolated places is very likely over Saurashtra, south Gujarat region and Konkan today. The Met Department has issued a warning of a very severe cyclonic storm and advised fishermen to not venture into the sea.

Director of Ahmedabad MeT office, Jayanta Sarkar has said that that Ockhi is currently a cyclone of very severe nature but by the time it crosses Gujarat it would weaken considerably and turn in to a deep of simple depression.NDRF teams have been deployed in the coastal areas. 

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani chaired a review meeting in state capital Gandhinagar yesterday.

Light rains hit Mumbai and suburbs last night as the Cyclone hit the coastal areas of Maharashtra. The city also experienced a drop of two degree Celsius in temperatures. According to MeT officials, though the centre of the



cyclone is around 600 km from Mumbai but its cloud band has spread along the coastal areas. IMD has said the intensity of rains will increase as the cyclone approaches.State government has declared a holiday today for schools and colleges in Mumbai and adjoining districts due to "serious weather predictions" in view of Ockhi.

On the eastern part, there is a forecast of Normal to heavy Rainfall at most places over Nicobar Islands and many places over Andaman Islands during the next two days. Sea conditions will be rough to very rough till tomorrow around Nicobar Islands. Fishermen along and off Nicobar Islands and off Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu coasts are advised not to venture into the sea till tomorrow.

Meanwhile Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy has said 2604 fishermen from Kanyakumari district stranded mid-sea due to cyclone Ockhi have been rescued. He reviewed the relief and rehabilitation measures in the worst affected Kanyakumari district via video-conferencing yesterday. Mr Palaniswamy assured that in the next 48 hours, power supply will be resumed in the whole district.