ꦅIn line with the forecast made by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a deep depression that trigge🎶red incessant torrential rains and floods in Gujarat, on Friday intensified into Cyclone Asna off the coast of Kachchh and the adjoining areas of Pakistan.
This is the first cyclonic storm in the Arabian Sea in Aug꧑ust since 1976. T🅰he name Asna has been given by Pakistan.
Cyclone Asna: About the rare August event
According to IMD's weather bulletin, the deep depression over the Kachchh coast and the adjoining areas of Pakis🔯tan and the northeast Arabian Sea have moved westward with a speed of 6 kmph during the past 6 hours and has intensified into cyclonic storm 'Asna' (pronounced as As-Na).
As per the prediction, it w🥂ill continue moving nearly west-nor🍨thwestwards over the northeast Arabian Sea, away from the Indian coast, over the next two days, the weather department said.
In a statement on Thursday night,𒊎 IMD said, “Deep depression over💦 Kutch and adjoining areas is likely to move nearly westwards into northeast Arabian sea and intensify into a cyclonic storm during next 12 hours. It would then move west-northwestwards away from Indian coast during subsequent two
"Development of cyclonic storms in the month of August over the Arabian Sea is a rare activity. What is unusual about the current storm is that it has maintained the same intensity over the past few days", an IMD meteorologist sa🍰id.
According to the scientists, yesterday the tropical storm was s🦩andwi🉐ched between two anticyclones – one over the Tibetan Plateau and another over the Arabian Peninsula.
Cyclone Asna: People shifted to safer places in Kutch
𒀰Following IMD's prediction, the authorities in Gujarat’s Kutch district on Friday asked people living in huts and makeshift houses to take shelter inꦛ schools, temples or other buildings for safety.
In a bid to ensure safety, Kutch Collector Amit Arora also issued a video message asking people living in Abdasa, Mandvi and Lakhpat talukas💝 to leave their huts and kutcha houses and take shelter in any school or 🔯other buildings.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupend♔ra Patel on Thursday night reached the State Emergency Operations Centre in Gandhinagar and communicated with Arora through video conference about the district administration’s preparedness.
Flood situation in Gujarat
Rain-related incidents in Gujarat have claimed 26 lives over the past four days. More than 18,000♏ peo♈ple have been relocated, and around 1,200 rescued from flood-affected areas in the state.
In some ⭕cases, security forces used helicopters to evacuate people t💧o safer locations, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).
Vadodara, the worst-hit♏ city from the recent downpour, experienced some relief as the Vishwamitri r♒iver's water level dropped from 37 feet to 32 feet in the morning.
History of cyclones over Arabian Sea in August
After 1891, only three cyclonic storms have developed over the Arabian Sea in August. In a rare incident in 1944, a cyclone intensified after emerging into the Arabian Sea and weakened subsequently mid-sea while in 19ꦍ64, a short cyclone developed near tꦓhe South Gujarat coast and weakened near the coast.
In 1976, a cyclone developed over Odisha, moved west-northwestwards, emerged into the Arabian Sꦑea, made a looping track, and weakened over the northwest Arabian Sea near the Oman coast.
Similarly, over ♔the Bay of Bengal during the last 132 years, there have been a total of 28 such systems in the month of August.
