Thousands evacuated as powerful cyclone heads for state of Gujarat
Cyclone Nilofar is predicted to hit Gujarat on Saturday with experts categorising it as “severe”. India’s Meteorological Department anticipate storm winds of up to 130km/h (80 mph).
Rescue and relief teams have been deployed and the military is on stand-by.
This is not the first time India has been plagued by this phenomenon, Cyclone Hudhud came to India’s Eastern Coast earlier this month killing more than 40 people, causing serious damage and leading to the evacuation of approximately 350,000 people.
Additionally, a super-cyclone occurred in 1999 in eastern Orissa state killing more than 10,000 people.
Cyclone Nilofar is expected to pass around 250km (155 miles) from Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, local weather officials stated.
Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority has informed officials to prepare to evacuate villages along the coast and shut beachside restaurants.
Authorities in Gujarat’s coastal Kutch district have begun moving more than 30,000 people from the area, the AFP news agency heard.
Heavy rainfall is expected in the districts and the sea along the coast in Gujarat will be “rough to very rough”, the weather department revealed in a statement.
Coastal villages have been put on high alert with Fishermen out at sea being called back to the coast. 200 relief centres have reportedly been erected and schools and colleges will be shut for two days in the coastal districts.
Cyclonic storms are frequent on India’s eastern coast and in Bangladesh, they normally occur between April and November, causing deaths and widespread damage to property
