Vayu to skirt Saurashtra coast, affect Somnath, Junagadh, Porbandar, Diu

Ahmedabad: Vayu, the very severe cyclonic storm over the Arabian Sea, has changed course and is expected to skirt the Saurashtra coast on Thursday afternoon.

With wind speed of 135-145 kmph, touching up to 160 kmph, the districts of Gir Somnath, Junagadh, Porbandar and Devbhoomi Dwarka in Gujarat and the Union Territory of Diu have been affected, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday.

The cyclonic storm changed its trajectory overnight and moved further into the sea, bringing much-needed relief to the people in the coastal areas of Gujarat, where it was earlier predicted to make landfall.

However, the western coast is still on high alert as strong winds and rough sea conditions are expected for the next 24 to 48 hours.

Flight services have been suspended in airports at Porbandar, Diu, Bhavnagar, Keshod and Kandla while several trains have been diverted. Port operations have also been temporarily suspended by the authorities as a precautionary measure.

The IMD has advised fishermen not to venture into the sea till June 15.

The Indian Coast Guard, the Navy, the National Disaster Response Force and the state authorities are on high alert. Army teams have been kept on stand-by.

To give relief to people in the coastal areas, various groups in Rajkot have made arrangements to provide food packets.