Barely two months have gone by since cyclone Fani came and thrashed East India, especially Odisha, that a new disturbance has risen again. Though not as severe as Fani, Vayu is still a high alert category. With fluctuating temperatures and multiple cyclones, the climate has indeed gone for a toss. India is taking no chances as shown with the maximum preparation for Odisha, Gujarat too has evacuated people to shelters and issued the warnings. The cyclonic storm Vayu is closing in on the Arabian Sea coast bringing heavy rains and winds sweeping across parts of Gujarat. The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted the presence of moderately strong winds from 75 km per hour to a maximum of 135 km across the western part of India.
The website which tracks the weather had the following excerpt written there. “The system currently is seen as a depression over the Southeast and East Central Arabian Sea and is centered at 11.2 degree N and 71 degree E, around 800 km South-Southwest Mumbai”.
This deep depression as mentioned before will progress more and is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm Vayu by today. “With long sea travel, low vertical wind shear, and warm sea surface temperatures, the probable cyclone is further expected to gain strength and intensify into a severe cyclone storm,” it added. All tourists have been asked to avoid the sea for now. And the country is taking no chances at all.
The IMD has checked for all the possible consequences and after extensive reports has issued an “orange” alert for Cyclone Vayu, indicating that it does not expect the storm to cause much damage on land. Atleast the range of destruction is known. However, the warning means that fishermen have been warned to be wary and definitely not to venture into the sea till the storm subsides. Let us hope that Vayu passes by with some rain for some much needed region and very less damage.
