Cyclone Asna: IMD issues red alert for Karnataka and forecasts heavy rainfall in Gujarat
PTC News Desk: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘red alert’ for coastal Karnataka due to the rare threat posed by Cyclone Asna, while also forecasting very heavy rainfall for Gujarat on Saturday, August 31.
The cyclone, which is forming over Gujarat’s Saurashtra-Kutch region, is an unusual occurrence for this time of year. It is expected to move into the Arabian Sea and proceed towards Oman. Pakistan has named the storm Cyclone Asna as it intensified in the region.
#WATCH | Telangana: Rain lashes several parts of Warangal city. pic.twitter.com/pgz8qqIbS9
— ANI (@ANI) August 31, 2024
According to reports from English Jagran, only three such storms have developed over the Arabian Sea in August between 1891 and 2023, with recorded instances in 1976, 1964, and 1944.
The 1976 storm originated in Odisha, tracked west-northwest into the Arabian Sea, looped, and eventually weakened near Oman’s coast. Similarly, the 1944 storm strengthened after entering the Arabian Sea before dissipating. In 1964, a brief storm formed off the South Gujarat coast but weakened near the shoreline. Cyclone Asna, named by Pakistan, is the first cyclonic storm to develop in the Arabian Sea in August since 1976. The storm is now moving west-northwest, away from the Indian coastline.
Cyclone Asna likely to move West-Northwest away from Indian Coast in 24 hours : IMD.
Read @ANI story | https://t.co/v1hPhxNuhS#cycloneAsna #Gujarat #IndianCoast #IMD pic.twitter.com/PNPdEVovjw
— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) August 30, 2024
Over the past six hours, a deep depression over the Kachchh coast, parts of Pakistan, and the northeast Arabian Sea has moved westward at a speed of 6 kilometers per hour. This depression has intensified into Cyclone Asna and, as of 11:30 AM, was located approximately 190 kilometers west-northwest of Bhuj, Gujarat, according to the IMD. Wind speeds in a deep depression range from 52 to 61 kmph, while cyclones have wind speeds between 63 and 87 kmph.
Impact of Rainfall in Gujarat
Recent heavy rainfall in Gujarat has resulted in the loss of 26 lives over the past four days. More than 18,000 people have been evacuated, and around 1,200 individuals have been rescued from flood-affected areas.
Despite a reduction in rainfall across most of Gujarat by Friday morning, officials reported significant waterlogging in several towns and villages due to overflowing rivers. The State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) noted that between 6 am and 2 pm, only four locations in the state received 15 mm to 26 mm of rain, while other areas experienced either dry conditions or light showers.