Cyclone Vayu LIVE: Gujarat on high alert, Indian Railways cancels 77 trains

Gujarat government has evacuated over 300,000 people from low-lying areas of Gujarat. Catch Cyclone Vayu LIVE updates

Even though Cyclone Vayu has changed it's course and is unlikely to make landfall in the state, the severity of the storm remains a threat for Gujarat's coastal areas, an IMD official said.

"The threat of surge in wind, dust storm and rainfall stays very much. The centre of the storm -- known as the eye -- has slightly moved away from the Gujarat coast, but its diameter is well over 900 km," the official said.

Earlier, the cyclone was moving straight towards the Gujarat coast, but is has now slightly moved away, the the India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said.

"But going by its extension, there is no relief from the high alert sounded for the Gujarat coast. The cyclonic storm is going to hit Porbandar in Gujarat and other parts till Kutch area," he said.

The IMD will issue further updates about the cyclone by afternoon, the official added.

Gujarat government has evacuated over 300,000 people from low-lying areas of Gujarat and 10,000 from Diu to safer places.

The Indian Railways has cancelled 77 trains and short terminated 33 others due to Cyclone Vayu.

The cancellations were made as a precaution.

Catch LIVE updates on Cyclone Vayu

12:06 PM

11:36 AM

GTDC seeks report on cruises operating despite cyclone warning

The Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) has sought a report over some cruise ships operating in the Mandovi river here located close to the Arabian Sea despite a warning of rough weather along the state coast due to cyclone Vayu, an official said.

 

The GTDC received complaints that some cruise vessels were operating close to the sea waters, the state-run entity's chairman, Dayanand Sopte, told reporters here on Wednesday.

11:35 AM

Railways cancels 77 trains, short terminates 33 others

The railways has cancelled 77 trains and short terminated 33 others due to Cyclone Vayu, the Western Railways said Thursday.

 

The cancellations were made as a precaution even though the cyclone changed its course and is unlikely to make landfall in Gujarat. However, it will cause heavy rain in several coastal districts of the state.

 

"Considering the alertness for Cyclone Vayu over Gujarat, the Western Railway has decided to fully cancel operation of 77 mainline trains, while 33 other mainline trains have been short terminated with partial cancellation as a precautionary measure in the cyclone prone areas.

 

"In addition to this, various safety and security precautions are also being taken by the Western Railway for train passengers of these prone areas under the jurisdiction of WR -- Veraval, Okha, Porbandar, Bhavnagar, Bhuj and Gandhidham," the railways said.

 

The Veraval-Amreli, Amreli-Junagadh, Delvada-Veraval are some of the trains that were cancelled for Wednesday and Thursday.

10:49 AM

Meanwhile, IMD has issued weather alert for Odisha

Meanwhile, IMD has issued weather alert for Odisha. Rain and thundershower is likely to continue over multiple districts of Odisha during the next 6-8 hours.

10:45 AM

The 'eye of the storm' has moved away from Gujarat, but its diameter is well over 900 km

The severity of Cyclone Vayu remains a threat for Gujarat's coastal areas even though it has changed course and is unlikely to make landfall in the state on Thursday, an IMD official said.

 

"The threat of surge in wind, dust storm and rainfall stays very much. The centre of the storm -- known as the eye -- has slightly moved away from the Gujarat coast, but its diameter is well over 900 km," the official said.

9:33 AM

"It is very likely to move north-northwestwards for some time and then northwestwards skirting the Saurashtra coast affecting Gir Somnath, Diu, Junagarh, Porbandar and Devbhoomi Dwarka with wind speed between 135 and 145 kmph, gusting to 160 kmph from June 13 afternoon," the Cyclone Warning Division said in its 8:30 am bulletin

9:33 AM

IMD Additional Director General Devendra Pradhan said the cyclone will remain in the sea and move parallel to the Gujarat coast. "It has taken a slight westward movement. It will go parallel to the Gujarat coast," Pradhan said.

9:32 AM

Cyclone Vayu has changed its course and it is unlikely to hit the Gujarat coast, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Thursday. "It (Cyclone Vayu) may not make landfall. It will only skirt the coast. It has made a small deviation. But, its effect will be there with strong winds and heavy rain," Secretary at the Ministry of Earth Sciences M Rajeevan said.

9:31 AM

9:29 AM

The NDRF teams have been deployed at Kutch, Morbi, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Dwarka, Porbandar, Gir Somnath, Amreli, Junagarh, Bhavnagar, Vadodara, Valsad, Surat and Gandhi Nagar; four teams have been pre-positioned at Diu for a prompt response

9:28 AM

Columns of Army, NDRF personnel, Air Force helicopters and 300 marine commandoes were deployed for rescue and relief operations, while flight operations from five airports in Porbandar, Diu, Bhavnagar, Keshod and Kandla were suspended

9:25 AM

9:04 AM

8:55 AM

"Cyclone Vayu won't hit Gujarat. It will pass nearby from Veraval, Porbandar, Dwarka. Its effect will be seen on the coastal regions as there will be heavy wind speed and heavy rain as well," said Manorama Mohanty, scientist at India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ahmedabad.

8:54 AM