The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘red alert’ for coastal Karnataka due to the threat posed by the rare Cyclone Asna. The IMD has also forecasted very heavy rainfall for Gujarat on Saturday, August 31.
Cyclone Asna, which is currently developing over Gujarat’s Saurashtra-Kutch region, is an unusual weather event for this time of year. The cyclone is expected to move into the Arabian Sea and continue its journey towards Oman. The storm was named Cyclone Asna by Pakistan as it intensified.
According to a report by English Jagran, this is only the fourth instance between 1891 and 2023 that a cyclonic storm has formed over the Arabian Sea in August. The previous occurrences were in 1976, 1964, and 1944.
The 1976 storm, which originated in Odisha, moved west-northwest into the Arabian Sea, circled, and eventually weakened near the coast of Oman. Similarly, the 1944 storm intensified after reaching the Arabian Sea before losing strength. In 1964, a brief storm developed off the South Gujarat coast but weakened near the shoreline.
Cyclone Asna is the first cyclonic storm to develop in the Arabian Sea in August since 1976. The storm is now moving west-northwest, gradually shifting away from the Indian coast.
Rainfall Impact in Gujarat
In Gujarat, recent heavy rains have claimed 26 lives over the past four days. Authorities have evacuated more than 18,000 people, and around 1,200 individuals have been rescued from flood-affected areas.
Although rainfall subsided across much of Gujarat by Friday morning, significant waterlogging was reported in several towns and villages due to overflowing rivers. The State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) noted that between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m., only four locations in the state received 15 mm to 26 mm of rain, while other areas experienced either dry conditions or light showers.
