Cyclone Asna moves away from Gujarat coast, no heavy rain likely in next 5 days

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has reported that Cyclone Asna, which was previously looming over the northeast Arabian Sea near the Kachchh and adjoining Pakistan coasts, has moved westwards and is now 310 km west of Naliya in Gujarat.

It is likely to continue moving away from the Indian coast over the next 24 hours, bringing a sense of relief to Gujarat residents who have been bracing for impact. No heavy rainfall is expected in the state for the next five days.

The Cyclonic Storm Asna moved westwards at a speed of 14 kmph over the past six hours and was centered 160 km south-southwest of Karachi (Pakistan) as of 2330 hours IST on August 30, 2024. It is expected to continue its trajectory west-northwest over the northeast Arabian Sea before shifting west-southwest. With this movement, the cyclone is heading away from India, reducing the threat of severe weather in Gujarat.

According to the weather department, there is no red alert for heavy rainfall anywhere in Gujarat for the next five days. However, a yellow alert has been issued for light to moderate rain in several districts, including Kachchh, Jamnagar, Dwarka, Porbandar, Navsari, Valsad, Daman, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli today.

A yellow alert will be in place only for Navsari, Valsad, Daman, and Dadra Nagar Haveli on Sunday.

On Monday, an orange alert is predicted for Vadodara and Chhota Udepur, while Bhavnagar, Anand, Panchmahal, Dahod, Bharuch, and Narmada will remain under a yellow alert.

The state has recently endured heavy rainfall over the past four days, resulting in 32 deaths across Gujarat. The districts most affected include Anand (6 deaths), Ahmedabad (5), Mahisagar (3), Jamnagar (3), Kheda (2), Gandhinagar (2), Dahod (2), Surendranagar (2), Aravalli (1), Dwarka (1), Panchmahal (1), Dang (1), Bharuch (1), Morbi (1), and Vadodara (1).

The heavy rains have caused significant damage to infrastructure, with 6,414 temporary houses damaged and 380 completely destroyed. Additionally, 289 permanent houses were partially damaged, and 18 were completely destroyed.

In response to the floods, rescue operations have been carried out by the Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, and local police, resulting in the rescue of 2,572 people over the last four days. Vadodara witnessed the most significant number of rescues at 1,294, followed by Kheda (682), Jamnagar (144), Devbhoomi Dwarka (123), Morbi (79), and Kachchh (78).

A total of 32,933 people have been relocated to safer areas, with the highest numbers being in Vadodara (11,655), Navsari (4,160), Kheda (3,978), Jamnagar (2,373), and Anand (1,810).

While Cyclone Asna is moving away from Gujarat, authorities remain vigilant, continuing to monitor the situation closely.