Heavy rain lashed Gujarat's Saurashtra-Kachchh region as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that a deep depression in the area was likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm and hit the coast on Friday.
The deep depression will be called Cyclone Asna, a name suggested by Pakistan, when it intensifies into a cyclonic storm, the weather department said.
This will be the first cyclonic storm to develop over the Arabian Sea in August since 1976, it added.
The IMD has said that the deep depression over Gujarat's Saurashtra and Kutch is likely to move west-southwestwards and emerge over the northeast Arabian Sea off Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts and intensify into a cyclonic storm.
This phenomenon is notable as it marks only the fourth occurrence in the last 80 years when a weather system active on land transitions to a cyclone upon reaching the sea. "DD (Deep Depression) over Kachchh and adjoining areas of Northeast Arabian Sea and Pakistan, about 90 km W-NW of Bhuj (Gujarat). To move West, emerge into North-East Arabian Sea and intensify into a Cyclonic Storm on 30th Aug. It would continue to move nearly West-South West over NE Arabian Sea away from Indian coast in next 2 days," the IMD said on Friday.
The situation in other parts of rain-battered Gujarat has improved slightly as the rainfall activity subsided, but Vadodara and some other parts of the state are still reeling under a flood-like situation due to overflowing rivers while the authorities continue rescue and relief operations.
Rain-related incidents have claimed the lives of 32 people in four days till Thursday. According to the details shared by the Gujarat government, at least one person died in Aravalli, Dwarka, Panchmahal, Dang, Bharuch, Morbi, and Vadodara, six people died in Anand, five people died in Ahmedabad, three people died in Mahisagar and Jamnagar, two people died in Gandhinagar, Kheda, Mahisagar, Dahod and Surendranagar districts.
More than 32,000 people have been relocated and around 1,200 people rescued from flood-affected areas in the state. In some cases, choppers were used by the security forces to take people to safer locations, State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said in its latest update.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted some respite from the torrential rains in the coming days. Teams of the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), its state counterpart SDRF, along with local administration are engaged in relief and rescue operations in the most-affected districts of Vadodara, Dwarka, Jamnagar, Rajkot and Kachchh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to state Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday and took stock of the situation. He also asked the Chief Minister to ensure that proper steps are taken to prevent the spread of diseases post floods.
Vadodara, the worst-hit city due to recent downpour, heaved a sigh of relief as the water level of the Vishwamitri River went down from 37 feet to 32 feet on Thursday. However, several low-lying areas in the city are still inundated.
