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Flooded areas in Kotala village in Kutch district on Friday. (Photo/PTI)
A deep depression that triggered heavy rains and floods in Gujarat on Friday intensified into Cyclone Asna along the coast of Kutch and adjoining parts of Pakistan, according to the weather agency.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of a cyclonic storm in Kutch district even as rainfall subsided in most parts of Gujarat on Friday morning. Officials said some towns and villages were flooded due to rising river levels. A deep depression that triggered heavy rainfall and floods in Gujarat on Friday intensified into cyclone Asnar off the coast of Kutch and adjoining areas of Pakistan, the weather agency said.
The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) said that due to the phenomenon, four places in the state received between 15 mm and 26 mm of rain between 6:00 am and 2:00 pm, while other areas remained dry or received light showers. .
According to officials, parts of Mandvi town in Kutch district are still inundated, while parts of Bhuj, Anjal and Nakatrana towns are inundated.
Cyclone Asner
The name Asna comes from Pakistan and means “one who is recognized or praised”.
During the past 6 hours, a deep low pressure over the coast of Kutch and adjoining areas of Pakistan and the northeastern Arabian Sea moved westward at a speed of 6 kilometers per hour and intensified into cyclonic storm Asna. The weather department said it will continue to move west-northwest over the northeastern Arabian Sea and away from the Indian coast in the next two days.
Madhavan Nair Rajeevan, former secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, said it was surprising to see the weather system in the North Arabian Sea intensify into a cyclonic storm.
“During the training, we learned from teachers and textbooks that the North Arabian Sea will become colder during the monsoon season due to rising oceans, and that weather systems there will not intensify,” he posted on X.
“How is this happening? The Arabian Sea is warming as part of global warming. But we need to better understand the mechanisms. Now is the time we need to revise our description of monsoon weather systems by incorporating this new information and insights It’s time for a dynamic meteorology textbook. We need to be better prepared for climate change adaptation strategies,” he said.
More than 26 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents in Gujarat in the past three days. More than 18,000 people have been evacuated from flood-hit areas in the state and about 1,200 people have been rescued.
