Cyclone Vayu is slowly moving away from the Gujarat coast and moving west-northwestwards skirting Saurashtra, the India Meteorological Department said in its latest update on Friday. The weather department said the previous day that the cyclone was moving towards Oman.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani confirmed that state is safe now, reported ANI. “The government has decided to call back all senior ministers and officials that were sent to tackle the situation in 10 areas that were expected to be affected.” However, teams of the National Disaster Response Force will remain stationed along the coastline for another 48 hours.
After a meeting with top officials in Gandhinagar, Rupani said around 2.75 lakh people who were evacuated from the coastal areas are free to return to their homes now. The state government will pay an allowance of Rs 5.5 crore to the evacuees for daily expenses over the next three days, said the chief minister. “Schools and colleges will start as per their schedules tomorrow,” said Rupani, according to PTI. “Road transport buses have started plying in these areas today.”
The Regional Meteorological Centre in New Delhi in its 10.30 am bulletin said squally winds will continue in coastal areas of Gujarat. “Wind speed likely to be 50 mph to 60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph over Porbandar and Devbhoomi Dwaraka and 30-40 mph gusting to 50 mph over Gir Somnath, Diu and Junagarh during the next three hours,” the bulletin said.
Jayanta Sarkar, director of India Meteorological Department, Gujarat, said the cyclone will skirt along the Saurashtra coast with a wind speed of 90-100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph. “Heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Gir-Somnath, Junagadh, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Amreli, Bhavnagar and Devbhoomi Dwaraka in addition to Diu,” The Times of India quoted Sarkar as saying.
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