Cyclone Nilofar will not make landfall in north Gujarat, as predicted earlier. By Friday night, as it nears the coast, the cyclone would have lost its intensity, officials said on Thursday.
“There is no landfall. At present, Nilofar is a storm in the sea. The moment it reaches the coast, it will weaken into a depression,” Manorama Mohanty, Director, Ahmedabad Meteorological Centre, told The Hindu .
However, the State agencies are on alert and teams of National Disaster Response Force and other rescue forces will remain on standby.
“Parts of Kutch and the coastal districts of Saurashtra will experience heavy to very heavy rainfall of 2-10 inches. The Collectors have been alerted to take measures in case of water-logging,” Relief Commissioner D.N. Pandey told The Hindu .
The India Meteorological Department said that Nilofar remained stationary for three hours on Thursday and weakened into a cyclonic storm. The maximum wind speed will be 60 kmph.
