IMD alert: 7 states to see very heavy rainfall due to severe Cyclone Shaheen till Oct 4

The latest IMD bulletin said that Cyclone Shaheen, which now lies near Gujarat along with Pakistan and Iran coasts, is going to bring heavy rainfall in West Bengal and Bihar, among other states.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its latest bulletin has forecast very heavy rainfall in as many as seven states across India due to Cyclone Shaheen, which is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours. This latest weather alert for Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Gujarat comes after Cyclone Gulab made landfall in the coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on September 26, claiming the lives of three people.

The IMD said that a deep depression has now intensified into Cyclone Shaheen, which will turn into a severe cyclonic storm in next 24 hours.

According to the IMD bulletin, the deep depression that has now intensified into Cyclone Shaheen lies near Pakistan and Iran besides India. As of 5.30am on Friday, Shaheen lay about 400km west-northwest of Devbhoomi Dwarka in Gujarat, 260km south-southwest of Pakistan’s Karachi, and 530km east-southeast of Chabahar Port in Iran. The arrival of Shaheen is an outcome of the remnant of Cyclone Gulab – deep depression, weakening into a depression, only to intensify into a new cyclone over the Arabian Sea. Earlier, IMD cyclones in charge, Sunitha Devi told Hindustan Times that chances of remnants of Cyclone Gulab turning into a new cyclone “are less,” but the possibility cannot be ruled out.

Meanwhile, the additional well-marked low-pressure area over south Bihar and its neighbouring state Jharkhand now lies over southwest Bihar and its neighbourhood. The IMD has already stated that the ongoing monsoon is expected to start its withdrawal process from certain regions of northwest India from October 6 onwards. This is marginally later than the typical time – September 17, with monsoon withdrawing from western corners of northwest India on September 28 last year.

Cyclone Gulab has so far lashed several states including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha and West Bengal.

Here are the latest IMD alerts for states that will get very heavy rainfall due to the approaching Cyclone Shaheen:

1. The IMD bulletin predicted isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over Bihar, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, and Sikkim on October 1 and 2. Extremely heavy downpour – more than 20cm of rainfall, is very likely in isolated regions in Bihar on Friday.

2. The weather department has further predicted that rainfall activity will increase over south peninsular India from October 1 onwards, thereby bringing heavy rainfall over Tamil Nadu, Kerala, coastal and south interior Karnataka between October 1 and 4. Tamil Nadu is also likely to receive very heavy rainfall in isolated regions between October 2 and 4.

3. The IMD has cautioned fishermen against venturing out into the northeast Arabian Sea as well as along and off Gujarat coast in the subsequent 12 hours. The same alert has been issued for fishermen over north and adjoining central Arabian Sea, along and off Pakistan-Makran coasts, and the Gulf of Oman till the morning of October 4.