A severe cyclone building up over the Arabian Sea may not weaken after expected landfall on Wednesday evening, and could retain the status into the next morning. It may remain a cyclone up to Thursday evening over West/North-West India, per an India Meteorological Department (IMD) outlook.

The IMD did not indicate an exact landfall point since the system was still in the depression stage on Monday afternoon. According to IMD officials, an indicative landfall point could be declared tomorrow (Tuesday). But tentative graphical representations of track available on Monday pointed to Mumbai or neighbourhood.

Current location

On Monday morning, the depression was located about 360 km south-west of Panjim; 670 km South-South-West of Mumbai; and 900 km South-South-West of Surat. It is expected to intensify into a deep depression by Tuesday morning and develop into a cyclone by the morning after.

Its track would be nearly to the North until Tuesday morning, re-curve later North-North-East towards the West Coast, and intensify as a severe cyclone before crossing the North Maharashtra and South Gujarat coasts between Harihareshwar (Raigad) and Daman by Wednesday evening/night.

High winds along coast

Squally winds (50-60 km/hr gusting to 70 km/hr) may prevail along and off Karnataka-Goa coasts in the next two days. Over Lakshadweep and along and off the Kerala coast, the wind speeds would be 40-50 km/hr, gusting to 60 km/hr during this period.

Squally winds (40-50 km/hr gusting to 60 km/hr) over East-Central and adjoining South-East Arabian Sea would accelerate to 50-60 km/hr gusting to 70 km/hr (deep depression) during the next two days. They will gradually speed up to gale force winds (60-70 km/hr gusting to 80 km/hr to cyclone strength) along and off south Maharashtra coast from Tuesday morning.

Wind speeds will further pick up to 105-115 km/hr gusting to 125 km/hr) along and off Maharashtra coast (Raigad, Mumbai, Palghar, Thane); 90-100 km/hr gusting to 110 km/hr along and off Valsad and Navsari in Gujarat; 80-90 km/hr gusting to 100 km/hr along and off Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra; 70-80 km/hr gusting to 90 km/hr along and off Surat and Bharuch in South Gujarat from Wednesday evening.

Warning to fishermen

The sea condition will be rough to very rough (with wave heights of 8-20 ft) around the Lakshadweep during this period. It will become very rough to high (20-30 ft) along and off the Karnataka-Goa coasts; and high to very high (30-40 ft) over along and off the Maharashtra coast tomorrow; and very rough to high along and off the Gujarat coast from Wednesday.

Fishermen are advised not to venture into the South-East Arabian Sea, Lakshadweep area and along and off the Kerala coast during the next two days; along and off the Karnataka-Goa coasts till Wednesday; and along and off the Maharashtra and Gujarat coasts on Wednesday and Thursday.

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