IMD warns of cyclonic storm; likely to reach near Gujarat, north Maharashtra coast by June 3

The IMD has said that the cyclone will move towards the north and reach near Gujarat and north Maharashtra coast by the evening of June 3.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) director general Mrutunjay Mohapatra on Sunday said that a low-pressure area formed near southeast Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep today and it is likely to transform into depression tomorrow and into a cyclonic storm the day after.

A man covers his face during dust storm in India, on Sunday, May 10, 2020. (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)

Mohapatra said that the cyclonic storm will move towards the north and reach near Gujarat and north Maharashtra coast by the evening of June 3.

This comes days after super cyclone Aphan ravaged parts of coastal Bengal and Odisha earlier this month. Amphan made landfall on the West Bengal-Bangladesh coast on the evening of May 20. Nearly 100 people lost their lives due to the super cyclone. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced a relief and reconstruction package of Rs 6,250 crore.

The centre had earlier announced a relief package of Rs 1,000 crore for Bengal after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an aerial survey of the two worst hit districts on May 23. The state too had earlier announced a package of Rs 1,000 crore. The package announced by Banerjee on Friday was over and above these.

Meanwhile, the IMD has predicted spells of rainfall in parts Western Himalayan region and Southern peninsular India in the coming days. Delhi/NCR and parts of north India, reeling from the heatwave conditions, received relief over the weekend with much-awaited rainfall. The weather department has said that the heatwave conditions have abated for now and are unlikely to recur in Delhi until June 8. The maximum temperature is likely to remain under 40 degrees Celsius in the national capital this week, the IMD stated.