Cyclone Vayu, was likely to make a landfall in Gujarat this week but it then changed its trajectory on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. Now as per reports, it can again change direction and move towards the coast in the next 48 hours.
It is to be noted that, hours after Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that Cyclone Vayu "no longer posed any threat" to the state as it had moved away westward. M Rajeevan, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences told PTI, “The cyclone may recurve on June 16 and hit Kutch on June 17-18."
The top Union Ministry of Earth Sciences official added that the intensity of the "very severe" cyclonic storm is "likely to reduce" and it may hit the coast as a "cyclonic storm or a deep depression".
Cyclone Vayu is the second cyclone to hit India this year. It was earlier expected to hit land between Porbandar and Veraval on Thursday. But, the weather department said it had changed its direction and moved westwards towards Oman.
Various arrangements were done ahead of the expected landfall. Over three lakh people were evacuated from the coastal areas of the state ahead. Besides, the National Disaster Response Force, the Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Air Force and the Border Security Force were put on high alert and schools and colleges were shut.
After the cyclonic storm changed its course on Friday, Mr Rupani said, “Gujarat is now completely safe. Approximately, 2.75 lakh people who were evacuated from the coastal areas are free to return to their homes."
According to Ahmedabad Meteorological Centre, Additional Director Manorama Mohanty, “It was too early to predict if the cyclone will recurve and hit Kutch or Saurashtra. " Though, the report says it may recurve in the next 48 hours. But it is also possible it may weaken by then and dissipate in the sea itself. Hence, it is too early to predict that it will come back and hit the Kutch coast."
However, fishermen in the coastal areas of Porbandar said, “They have incurred huge losses due to the strong winds generated by the cyclonic storm. They have also appealed to the state government to take steps for ensuring sufficient places for the parking of boats.”
