Coastal districts of Maharashtra are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall on Friday as a possible cyclonic storm brews in the Arabian Sea. The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for several areas in western India till next week while other parts of the country continue to face severe wave conditions. The IMD also issued a clarification on Thursday to debunk claims that a cyclone was developing near the Odisha-West Bengal coast.
“A low-pressure area lies over east-central Arabian Sea off south Konkan-Goa. It is likely to move nearly northwards and intensify further into a depression during next 36 hours. There is also possibility of its further intensification thereafter,” the weather department warned in its Thursday afternoon bulletin.
It is pertinent to note that no official cyclone warning has been sounded till now. The IMD is likely to share an additional update if the storm intensifies on Friday. The weather department has already issued a warning for fishermen venturing out along the western coast of India over the next few days.
IMD scientist Akhil Srivastava also told that the storm could “intensify and move northwards” in the coming hours. He warned that the incoming storm could “cause some more movement in the west coast” and noted that the weather department had already sounded a red alert.
“A warning of extremely heavy rain has been issued in Konkan Goa for the next three days. A red alert has been issued here and heavy to very heavy rains may occur in the adjoining areas of Central Maharashtra and West Coast,” he told the news agency.
According to the latest weather bulletin, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to continue over Gujarat, Goa,
Karnataka, Kerala and the Konkan region over the next six to seven days. There is a possibility of “extremely heavy rain” over the Konkan areas and Goa between May 22 and 24. Similar weather conditions may also prevail over coastal Karnataka on Saturday.
“Fishermen are advised not to venture along and off the Somalia coast and adjoining southwest Arabian Sea during May 22 to 27, over southwest and adjoining parts of west-central Arabian Sea on May 25 and 26,” IMD added.
