A deep depression that triggered torrential rains and floods in Gujarat on Friday intensified into cyclone Asna off the coast of Kachchh and the adjoining areas of Pakistan, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Since 1976, there has never been a cyclonic storm in the Arabian Sea in August before. The name Asna has been given by Pakistan. The IMD states that just three cyclonic storms (in 1976, 1964, and 1944) formed in the Arabian Sea in August between 1891 and 2023.
The 1976 cyclone strengthened over the northwest Arabian Sea close to the coast of Oman after moving west-northwestward over Odisha, entering the Arabian Sea, and following a circling path.
The 1944 cyclone entered the Arabian Sea and became stronger before becoming weaker. In 1964, another short-lived cyclone developed near the South Gujarat coast and weakened near the coast.
The deep depression over the Kachchh coast and adjoining areas of Pakistan and the Northeast Arabian Sea moved westward with a speed of 6 kmph during the past 6 hours, intensified into cyclonic storm 'Asna' (pronounced as As-Na) and lay centered at 1130 hours over the same region, 190 km west-northwest of Bhuj (Gujarat). It will continue moving nearly west-northwestwards over the northeast Arabian Sea, away from the Indian coast, over the next two days, the weather department said.
A deep depression is a low-pressure system with wind speeds ranging from 52 kmph to 61 kmph, while a cyclone has wind speeds between 63 kmph and 87 kmph. A sea surface temperature of 27 degrees Celsius and above is needed for a low-pressure system to intensify into a cyclone.
Currently, the sea surface temperature in the Bay of Bengal is 28-30 degrees Celsius. It is around 27-28 degrees Celsius in the Arabian Sea.
It's colder (below 26 degrees Celsius) in the west-central Arabian Sea and very warm (above 32 degrees Celsius) in the Gulf of Aden. The Tropical Cyclone Heat Potential is high in the central Bay of Bengal but low in the northern and central Arabian Sea.
The IMD on Thursday said these sea conditions suggest that the system will encounter colder waters in the Arabian Sea, so it's unlikely to intensify much.
Rain-related incidents in Gujarat have claimed 26 lives over the past three days.
More than 18,000 people have been relocated, and around 1,200 rescued from flood-affected areas in the state. In some areas, security forces used helicopters to evacuate people to 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 river's water level dropped from 37 feet to 32 feet in the morning.
However, several low-lying areas remain flooded. The river had crossed the danger mark of 25 feet on Tuesday morning following heavy rains and the release of water from Ajwa Dam.
(Inputs from PTI)
