IMD Predicts Rare August Cyclone Formation Over Arabian Sea, Heavy Rainfall Expected!
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Thursday that a cyclone is likely to form over the north Arabian Sea, off the Gujarat coast, on Friday. The cyclone is not expected to affect Indian coasts, as the deep depression over Saurashtra-Kutch will have moved away by then.
As of Thursday morning, the deep depression was located 60 km north-northwest of Bhuj, 80 km northeast of Naliya, and 270 km east-southeast of Karachi, Pakistan. If it becomes a cyclone, it will be named Asna, a name given by Pakistan.
Cyclones are rare during the monsoon season due to the high vertical wind shear and strong southwest monsoon winds. According to IMD, the depression is expected to move into the northeast Arabian Sea and intensify into a cyclone on Friday before moving away from the Indian coast.
This would be only the second cyclone to form in the Arabian Sea in August since 1964. The IMD also reported extremely heavy rainfall in parts of Gujarat, with up to 285mm recorded in some areas over the past 24 hours.
