Cyclone Ockhi is expected to move Northwest towards Gujarat and Maharashtra. On the 3rd of December, Cyclone Ockhi was located 910 Km Southwest of Mumbai and 1,120 Km Southwest of Surat.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) stated the Cyclone Ockhi will cross south Gujarat and North Maharashtra coasts near Surat. The cyclone will develop into a deep depression by the 5th of December, IMD added.
The Skymet Meteorology Division Chief Mahesh Palawat said, “The parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu will likely not receive heavy rainfall anymore as Ockhi turns away.”
South Gujarat and parts of North Maharashtra will receive rainfall on Monday night. The storm is likely to intensify on the 5th of December, Mahesh added.
IMD Director S. Sudevan said, “The intensity of the wind may come down and the cyclone could change into a depression.”
Fishermen have been warned not to go out to sea for the next few days. The waves are likely to be 3 to 5 meters high, Sudevan added.
On Sunday, Lakshadweep MP Mohammad Faizal said, the island suffered a loss of over Rs. 500 crores.
The Coast Guard alone rescued 87 people hailing from Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The Indian Navy and the Air Force rescued 65 and 9 stranded people respectively. The merchant vessels belonging to private companies managed to rescue 28 people. A total of 189 individuals were rescued by the 2nd of December.
Navy Commander Sridhar Warrier said, “We found that 172 fishermen had safely reached the shores of Lakshadweep. We arranged for shelter and food for them there itself. Once the weather cleared, we brought them back.”
Around 1,000 fishermen were sent to Goa, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala and given shelter.
“As of this morning, a total of 89 boats comprising 1,154 fishermen from several states mainly from Kerala and Tamil Nadu have taken shelter in various ports of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa and Lakshadweep,” the Defence Ministry tweeted.
A total of 357 people were rescued from the sea at 10 A.M. on the 3rd of December.
IMD has advised fishermen in South Gujarat and Maharashtra coasts not to venture out into sea from the 4th to 6th of December.
