New Delhi: Continuous heavy rains in Gujarat have disrupted the lives of people. Flood-like conditions have arisen in many cities including Vadodara. Not only this, crocodiles have reached the roofs of houses by flowing from the rivers. At the same time, another update from the Meteorological Department has increased the concern. The Meteorological Department has expressed the possibility of a cyclone in Gujarat.

A cyclone is forming over Saurashtra-Kutch region

A national bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that a cyclone is forming over Saurashtra-Kutch region of Gujarat, which is expected to emerge over the Arabian Sea and move towards the Oman coast on Friday. The bulletin further said that the deep depression over Saurashtra and Kutch is very likely to move west-southwestwards and emerge over the northeast Arabian Sea off Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts and intensify into a cyclonic storm on Friday.

First cyclonic storm in August after 1976

The weather office said this would be the first cyclonic storm to develop over the Arabian Sea in August since 1976. It said the 1976 cyclone developed over Odisha, moved west-northwestwards, emerged into the Arabian Sea, took a looping track and weakened over northwest Arabian Sea near the Oman coast.

Development of cyclonic storm in the month of August is a rare activity

The IMD meteorologist said that the development of a cyclonic storm over the Arabian Sea in the month of August is a rare activity. The 1944 cyclone also intensified after emerging in the Arabian Sea and later weakened in the middle of the sea. In 1964, a small cyclone developed near the South Gujarat coast and weakened near the coast. Similarly, a total of 28 such systems have formed in the month of August over the Bay of Bengal during the last 132 years.

An IMD scientist said the unusual thing about the current storm is that its intensity has remained the same for the last few days. "The tropical storm is located between two anticyclones - one over the Tibetan plateau and the other over the Arabian Peninsula. The deep depression over Saurashtra and Kutch has caused heavy rainfall in the region," he said.

Saurashtra and Kutch regions received 799 mm of rain

According to IMD data, Saurashtra and Kutch regions received 799 mm of rain between June 1 and August 29 this year, while the normal rainfall during the same period is 430.6 mm. This period received 86 per cent more rainfall than normal. The IMD said it is likely to move towards north Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south Odisha coasts and turn into a depression over west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal by Sunday.