After Hudhud, severe cyclone Nilofar heading towards Gujarat coast

Ahmedabad: After cyclone Hudhud caused devastation in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, the north Gujarat coast is expected to bear the brunt of cyclone Nilofar.

The storm is expected to make landfall on October 31 with a wind speed of over 120 kmph and is also expected to hit adjoining Karachi.

India Met Department, after issuing a pre-cyclone watch for north Gujarat coast, in its update said Nilofar is was located 1,270 km west-southwest of Mumbai on Sunday afternoon.

According MeT dept, the cyclone will move towards Oman in the next 48 hours. It would then after two days head towards the north coast of Gujarat in the subsequent 72 hours and will turn into a very severe storm. It, however, will not be as strong as predecessor Hudhud that rammed the coast of Visakhapatnam earlier this month.

India Met expects Nilofar to pack peak winds reaching speeds of 120- to 130 km/hr gusting to 145 km/hr.

Considering the probability of 'Cyclone Nilofar' hitting the Gujarat coast, the Kutch district collector has issued an advisory to various authorities directing all sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) and mamlatdars to keep their control rooms functional.

District Collector Mahendra Patel has also asked authorities of the Kandla Port Trust (KPT), the state maritime board and the forest department, besides all talatis and sarpanches in coastal villages to remain alert.

Control rooms would monitor the situation and issue alert every three hours to authorities in the coastal region of the state, the advisory said.
Gujarat state relief commission D N Pandey said that the situation is being monitored.

(With PTI inputs)