Hikaa intensifies into very severe cyclonic storm

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Sep 24, 2019: The severe cyclonic storm ‘Hikaa’ over northwest and adjoining west-central Arabian sea moved nearly westwards with a speed of 22 kmph during past six hours and intensified rapidly into a very severe cyclonic storm. It lay centered at 5:30 am Tuesday, near latitude 20.1 N and longitude 61.0 E, about 820 km west-southwest of Karachi (Pakistan), 220 km east-southeast of Masirah (Oman) and about 350 km east-northeast Duqm (Oman). It is likely to maintain its intensity for the next six hours and weaken gradually thereafter. It is very likely to move west-southwestwards and cross Oman coast between latitude 19.5 N and 20 N close to Duqm(Oman) during the night of September 24 as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 110-120 kmph gusting to 135 kmph, Yahoo reported.

 

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), fishermen have been advised not to venture into northwest and adjoining west-central Arabian Sea till Wednesday morning.

On the other hand, the IMD has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal and heavy rainfall at isolated places over Uttar Pradesh, East Rajasthan, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Gangetic West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, Konkan, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and interior Karnataka. Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning is very likely to occur at isolated places over Bihar, Jharkhand and Gangetic West Bengal.