Cyclone Ockhi to make landfall in Mumbai, Gujarat

UP CM Yogi Adityanath hands over a cheque worth Rs. 5 Cr to PM Modi from CM Distress Relief Fund towards PM's National Relief Fund, for the cyclone affected people in Lakshadweep and other States #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/vPxxQaE43A

— ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2017

In view of the inclement weather, stewards of the Royal Western India Turf Club have decided to cancel the Mumbai races scheduled for Thursday, December 7, except The Royal Calcutta Turf Club Trophy, which will now be run on Sunday, December 10

It's likely to rain today, there will be strong winds. People have been advised not to go out at night. Those living in kachha houses will be given shelter. NDRF is on alert. Municipality & local bodies are working on their level.: Mahendra Patel, Surat DM #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/lUuIpOiauW

— ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2017

<br /> <br /> A statement issued by the IMD advised the fishermen to return back to the coast.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fishermen are advised to return back to the coast and are advised not to go out in the sea during next 48 hours,&quot; reads the statement.<br /> <br /> &quot;Due to severe cyclonic storm &#39;Ockhi&#39; over the east-central Arabian sea near latitude 15.7&deg;n and longitude 69.2&deg;e, squally weather very likely to prevail along and off your ports,&quot; it adds.

"It is likely to be the closest today evening around 5.30 pm. However it's moving towards Surat and therefore tomorrow the city is expected to be clear, " he said.

It forecasts High Sea waves in the range of 3 to 3.8 metres off Kerala coast from 9.30 am to 11.30 pm today

With #CycloneOckhi expected to make a landfall in Gujarat, I appeal to @BJP4Gujarat Karyakartas to focus on helping people across the state. Our Karyakartas should devote themselves to providing all possible assistance and stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow citizens.

&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 5, 2017

Continuously monitoring the situation arising in various parts of the country due to #CycloneOckhi. Spoke to all relevant authorities and officials. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected.

&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 5, 2017

According to the state disaster management, 92 fishermen are still feared missing and the search is on

Western Railway’s engineering control staff have been kept on alert to keep a watch on water levels over tracks in some areas. RPF and commercial control staff have been alerted to monitor crowd movement and ensure evacuation at stations in case of any disaster-like situation. Patrolling of tracks has been intensified in various sections. The disaster management cell has been kept in readiness for any emergency.

A device, developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), for sending a distress signal when stranded at sea, will be made available to some fishermen in the state by the Coast Guard.

As a pilot project, the coast guard is giving out 50 units of the Distress Alert Transmitter (DAT). Whenever a fisherman is stranded or at risk, he just needs to press a button on the device and maritime security agencies will receive an alert.

There are 80,000 fishing boats registered in the state and nearly 15,000 set out to sea every day. In the absence of any equipment to send a distress signal, many fishermen drift away and never make it back home.

Many parts of Mumbai and its adjoining areas continued to receive significant rains since Tuesday morning. The rains were accompanied by gusty winds as well.

Indian Navy's Sea King helicopter being used to carry relief material to #CycloneOckhi affected Lakshadweep & Minicoy Islands. pic.twitter.com/O3KsPZpP7d

&mdash; ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2017

Visuals of rain from #Mumbai's Andheri. #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/609MTgxq26

&mdash; ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2017

High alert has been sounded in Gujarat as Cyclone Ockhi is expected to make landfall near Surat in south Gujarat as a deep depression around Tuesday midnight. The severe cyclonic storm located 770 km south-southwest of Surat on Monday evening is likely to weaken and cross Surat either as a deep depression or depression, weather officials said.

#CycloneOckhi: Sea condition to remain rough to very rough along and off north Maharashtra and South Gujarat coasts till tomorrow. Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy rainfall at isolated places is very likely over Saurashtra and south Gujarat region today. pic.twitter.com/KKx2KzK9as

&mdash; All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) December 5, 2017

Amid persisting uncertainty over the number of fishermen missing four days after Cyclone Ockhi struck the coast of Tamil Nadu, the clergy of the Catholic church at Thoothoor in Kanyakumari district urged the government to launch rescue measures on a war footing.

Following the weather warning from India Meteorological Department's (IMD) Mumbai observatory, the state government announced a precautionary holiday on Tuesday for schools in Sindhudurg, Thane, Raigad and Palghar districts.

C ward: (Kalbadevi)
7 mm

D ward (Mana chowk, Malabar hill)
6 mm

BMC headquarters : (Fort)
6 mm

B ward (Mohammed Ali Road)
5 mm

As the cyclone Ockhi averted the Maharashtra coast and Mumbai, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Monday rescued another 19 fishermen from the Arabian Sea, top officials said here. Inspector General K.R. Nautiyal, the Commander - ICG West Region, said these fisherfolk were rescued by ICGS Shoor from a remote island and Lakshadweep & Minicoy Isles, off India's southwest coast.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en"> Cyclone Ockhi: Mumbai to witness rain, govt announces precautionary holiday<a href="https://t.co/9FDpkMx2BI">https</a><a href="https://t.co/9FDpkMx2BI">://t.co/9FDpkMx2BI</a> <a href="https://t.co/IQl3D04ZzO">pic.twitter.com/IQl3D04ZzO</a></p> &mdash; TOI Mumbai (@TOIMumbai) <a href="https://twitter.com/TOIMumbai/status/937681841330429952?ref_src=twsrc^tfw">December 4, 2017</a></blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en"> Precautionary holiday declared for schools in Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Sindhudurga, Ratnagiri, Thane, Raigad and Palghar Districts for the safety of the students due to the serious weather predictions on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CycloneOckhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc^tfw">#CycloneOckhi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MumbaiRains?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc^tfw">#MumbaiRains</a></p> &mdash; Vinod Tawde (@TawdeVinod) <a href="https://twitter.com/TawdeVinod/status/937692404320051200?ref_src=twsrc^tfw">December 4, 2017</a></blockquote>

The Indian Meteorological Department's (IMD) Mumbai observatory issued a warning for rain and thundershowers in the city and suburbs beginning from Monday night owing to the cyclonic storm Ockhi which is 670 kms south west of Mumbai. They also said that the situation would remain same on Tuesday as well. However some parts of city started witnessing drizzle from Monday evening itself.