INTRODUCTION
- The Indian Meteorological Department said that at 5.30 a.m. on October 1, 2021, a deep depression over the northeast Arabian Sea near the Gujarat coast developed into cyclonic storm Shaheen (IMD).
- The remains of cyclone Gulab are to blame for the deep depression. In the last 24 hours, the weather system has brought torrential rainfall to Gujarat’s Saurashtra area.
FORMATION OF A DEEP DEPRESSION –
- On September 29, a well-marked low-pressure area over south Gujarat and the adjoining Gulf of Khambhat, as well as the remnants of cyclonic storm Gulab, moved west-northwestwards, emerged into the Gulf of Kutch, and intensified into a deep depression centred over the northeast Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast.
- According to IMD, the deep depression is around 255 kilometres east-northeast of Devbhoomi Dwarka in Gujarat, 180 kilometres south-southwest of Karachi in Pakistan, and 660 kilometres east-southeast of Chabahar Port in Iran.
CYCLONE SHAHEEN PREDICTED TO BE INTENSIFIED –
- The deep depression system is expected to travel west-northwestwards, away from the Indian coast, towards the Pakistan-Makran coastlines. Shaheen, a strong cyclonic storm with winds of 90 to 110 kmph, is anticipated to strengthen further.
- Though the system will not strike the Indian coast, severe to extremely heavy rainfall is expected in Saurashtra and Kutch over the next 12 hours, with wind gusts up to 70 kmph across the northeast and east-central Arabian Sea off the coasts of south Gujarat and north Maharashtra.
