Storm brewing off Gujarat coast, likely to move towards Oman

A storm is brewing in the Arabian Sea, 70 km off the Gujarat coast in Okha, packing wind speeds of over 50 km per hour, and moving towards Oman, the weather office said on Sunday.

The weather system — categorized as a depression — has been put under the watch of cyclone watchers at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) since its birth 100 km west off the Porbandar coast on Saturday morning.

“It is very likely to move west-northwestwards towards Oman coast across the northwest Arabian Sea during next 48 hours,” stated a national bulletin issued by the weather office on Sunday morning.

The IMD said the depression over the northeast Arabian Sea off Saurashtra and Kutch coasts moved northwestwards slowly during the last six hours with a speed of 5 kmph and lay centered at 5:30 am on Sunday, about 170 km west-northwest of Porbandar, 70 km west-northwest of Okha, 70 km south-southwest of Naliya (Gujarat) and 270 km south-southeast of Karachi (Pakistan). The weather office has predicted squally weather with wind speed reaching 55 kmph and hitting occasional highs of 65 kmph along Gujarat coasts till Sunday evening.

The sea condition is very likely to become rough along and off the Gujarat coast till Sunday evening and fishermen are advised not to venture out in the sea till the storm dissipates.