Cyclone Vayu to recurve again; likely to hit Kutch coast next week

Cyclone Vayu will change its path again and is likely to hit Kutch on June 17-18, a top official of the Ministry of Earth Sciences said on Friday. The very severe cyclonic storm will also reduce in intensity and turn into a severe cyclonic storm by Saturday morning, a senior India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said.

"The system is moving nearly westwards affecting Porbandar, Devbhoomi Dwarka districts with wind speed 50-60 kilometres per hour gusting to 70 kilometres per hour and Gir Somnath and Junagarh districts with wind speed 30-40 kilometres per hour gusting to 50 kilometres per hour. The wind speed over these districts is very likely to decrease gradually," the Cyclone Warning Division said in a 5.30 pm bulletin.

"The system is very likely to move nearly westwards during next 48 hours and recurve northeastwards thereafter," it added. "Cyclone Vayu will again recurve. It is likely to hit the Kutch coast on June 17-18," Ministry of Earth Sciences Secretary M Rajeevan told PTI.

By June 16, Vayu is likely to become a cyclonic storm with an expected wind speed of 80-90 kilometres per hour, he said. The intensity of the cyclone is likely to reduce and it may hit the coast as a cyclonic storm or a deep depression, Rajeevan added.

He said the Gujarat government has been alerted about the possible recurvature of the cyclonic storm. Cyclone Vayu was to hit the Gujarat coast on Thursday, but it changed course on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. It skirted the Gujarat coast, affecting Gir, Somnath, Diu, Junagarh and Porbandar.

As a precautionary measure, the state government has evacuated over two lakh people living along the coast.