After leaving a trail of destruction on the southern coast, Cyclone Ockhi is expected to make landfall in coastal Gujarat today with squally winds and heavy rainfall. Maharashtra, too, is on a state of high alert to deal with the side-effects of the stormy weather. A precautionary holiday has been announced for all schools in the coastal Maharashtra districts of Palghar, Thane, Mumbai, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg, in view of the predictions for the cyclone.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) today asked fishermen in both eastern and western coasts not to venture out in the sea for the next three days as heavy rainfall is expected in many areas due to cyclone Ockhi, reports PTI.
Asking people not to panic in case of a cyclone alert, the NDMA said in an advisory that fishermen along and off Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu coasts should not venture into the sea from December 6 to 8 while fishermen along and off Andaman and Nicobar Islands are advised not to venture into sea till tomorrow. Fishermen living along and off South Gujarat and North Maharashtra coasts have been advised not to venture into the sea till tomorrow morning.
As many as 39 people have perished and 167 fishermen were still missing after cyclone Ockhi hit Tamil Nadu and Kerala coasts while 809 others were swept away to Maharashtra, said a PTI report quoting Union Home Ministry. Joint Secretary in the ministry Sanjeev Kumar Jindal also said the cyclone is slowing down and would have no impact in Gujarat, where the first of the two-phased assembly elections is due four days later. “As of now, 10 people lost their lives in Tamil Nadu and 29 others in Kerala. Even though the exact number of missing persons were not known, as per available information, whereabouts of 74 fishermen in Tamil Nadu and 93 fishermen in Kerala is not known yet,” he told reporters in New Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to BJP workers to extend a helping hand to those that would be likely hit by the cyclone, which is expected to make a landfall on the state’s southern coast in Surat by tonight.
Dec 5, 2017
4:46 pm (IST)
The Kerala government has cancelled the inaugural ceremony of the upcoming International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in the wake of cyclone Ockhi affecting many districts in the state, reports PTI.
The IFFK, which attracts a large number of cinema aficionados and film personalities from across the country, is scheduled to begin Thiruvananthapuram on December 8.
Dec 5, 2017
3:34 pm (IST)
The IMD has said that the Cyclone Ockhi is 230 km South-Southwest of Mumbai and is likely to continue moving North-Northeast. The storm will weaken gradually and cross the South Gujarat, North Maharashtra coast. Mumbai city or its suburbs will not be affected.
Dec 5, 2017
2:52 pm (IST)
Cyclone Ockhi has moved closer to the southern coast near Surat in Gujarat and is expected to make landfall in the state around midnight, said officials. As per the latest forecast released by the Meteorological Centre here, the cyclone is now just 390 km away from Surat. The cyclone is approaching Gujarat steadily and now lies centred in the Arabian Sea just 390 km away from Surat. It is very likely to continue moving north-northwestwards, an official of the MeT centre said.
Dec 5, 2017
11:57 am (IST)
National Disaster Management Authority says light to moderate rainfall is expected at most places in Maharashtra, with isolated heavy rainfall over the North Konkan region, over the next 24 hours.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tweeted regarding Cyclone Ockchi, asking the Gujarat BJP to extend all help to the people of his state:
With #CycloneOckhi expected to make a landfall in Gujarat, I appeal to @BJP4Gujarat Karyakartas to focus on helping people across the state. Our Karyakartas should devote themselves to providing all possible assistance and stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow citizens.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 5, 2017
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tweeted regarding Cyclone Ockchi, saying that the situation was continuously being monitored:
Continuously monitoring the situation arising in various parts of the country due to #CycloneOckhi. Spoke to all relevant authorities and officials. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 5, 2017
As Mumbai braces for Cyclone Ockhi, areas near the metropolis witnessed a spell of hailstorm early today. The weather department has forecast intermittent rains in Mumbai and suburbs in the next 24 hours.
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