Cyclone Vayu Latest Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Centre is closely monitoring the situation in Gujarat due to Cyclone Vayu. “NDRF and other agencies are working round the clock to provide all possible assistance,” he tweeted.

He said he was “praying for the safety and well-being of all those affected by Cyclone Vayu”. “The government and local agencies are providing real-team information, which I urge those in affected areas to closely follow,” Modi tweeted.

In view of Cyclone Vayu over the Arabian Sea, coupled with high tide on Wednesday and Thursday, all beaches in the Kokan region, including in Palgahar,Thane, Mumbai (city and suburbs), Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg, may be closed to the public immediately for next two days, the Maharashtra government said, according to ANI.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has appealed to all party workers to be prepared to help out in areas that get affected by Cyclone Vayu in Gujarat. “I pray for the security and well-being of all the people in the areas that will be affected by the cyclone,” Rahul tweeted.

Flight operations from Ahmedabad airport to Porbandar, Diu, Kandla, Mundra and Bhavnagar have been cancelled for tomorrow. Also, Western Railway will operated two special evacuation trains today.

Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, who is “continuously monitoring the situation”, briefed the media on the precautionary measures taken and the state’s preparedness to deal with Cyclone Vayu. After reviewing Gujarat’s disaster preparedness ahead of the storm’s landfall, he said: “I hope people cooperate with the evacuation operations. As the cyclone is expected to make landfall at night, people should take it very seriously.”

Cyclone Vayu is now around 290 kilometres west-southwest of Mumbai. According to the IMD, it will move northwards and cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Diu, west of Veraval, with wind speeds between 145 kmph and 155 kmph, gusting up to 170 kmph, on Thursday morning.

The direction of Cyclone Vayu has altered slightly. It is now 320 kilometres south of Veraval in Gujarat and is moving northwards. According to the IMD, the ‘Very Severe Cyclonic Storm’ is likely to make landfall between Porbandar and Diu along the Gujarat coast on Thursday morning.

With Cyclone Vayu inching closer, the Gujarat government launched a massive evacuation exercise to shift about three lakh people from low-lying areas of Saurashtra and Kutch regions. The “very severe cyclonic storm” is currently around 340 km south of Gujarat’s Veraval coast.

Sanjay Barve, the Commissioner of Mumbai Police, has warned that Mumbai is likely to experience “very windy conditions” from afternoon and appealed to citizens to not “venture into sea” and keep keep a safe distance from the shoreline.

The Western Naval Command in Mumbai is fully geared up to respond expeditiously to the developing situation, the Indian Navy said on Twitter, adding that diving and rescue teams are on standby and relief material have been kept ready.

Bishwombhar Singh, director in-charge, Regional Weather Forecasting Centre, Mumbai told ANI that the Cyclone Vayu will not have much effect on Mumbai. The city will probably receive light rain and witness some increase in wind speed which may just cool down the temperatures further.

Cyclone Vayu is expected to make a landfall in Gujarat tomorrow morning. Tourists visiting Dwarka, Somnath, Sasan, Kutch, have been advised to leave for safer places after the afternoon of 12 June

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm, Vayu is about 340 kilometres nearly south of Veraval in Gujarat. It is very likely to move nearly northwards and cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva around Veraval and Diu region as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm in morning of 13 June 2019.

Indian authorities are preparing to evacuate 3,00000 people along the western coast as a severe cyclone is expected to make landfall on Thursday morning in the state of Gujarat.

Storm Vayu, which formed in the Arabian Sea, is likely to cross the Gujarat coast with gust speeds as high as 135 kilometre per hour (84 mph), the India Meteorological Department said in a statement.

It also warned the cyclone could further delay the progress of the annual monsoon rains over the rest of India, as the storm was drawing rain clouds from over the sea.

The arrival of the monsoons on the southern coast of Kerala was already about a week late this year.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani told reporters he had asked for help from the military and the National Disaster Response Force for rescue and relief work in cases the storm causes large scale disruption.

Gujarat is also home to large refineries and sea ports that lie near the storm’s path, officials said.

A spokesman for Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd said it was preparing to move employees at two ports it runs in the state to safer areas.

“Our Mundra and Tuna ports will be closest to the path. The disaster management plan has been put into action and all the necessary precautions are being put in place including evacuation of staff if the need arises,” the spokesman said.

India’s biggest oil refinery, owned by Reliance Industries, is also based in Gujarat.

A Reliance executive said the cyclone is expected to weaken by the time it reaches the Jamnagar-based refinery.

“But in case the course changes or intensifies, the refinery is ready for any contingency,” the executive said, declining to be named because he was not authorised to speak to journalists.

Nayara Energy, which is controlled by Russia’s Rosneft and also operates a refinery near Reliance’s unit, said it was monitoring the situation and taking precautionary measures.

In May, Cyclone Fani killed at least 34 people on India’s eastern coast, destroying houses and ripping off roofs.

Two decades ago, a super-cyclone battered the coast of Odisha for 30 hours, killing 10,000 people.

The government plans to start moving some 300,000 people from the most vulnerable areas from Wednesday morning into shelters. Home Minister Amit Shah asked officials to ensure any power, telecommunications and drinking water supplies affected by the cyclone are restored as soon as possible afterwards.

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