**Cyclone Shakhti: First Post-Monsoon Cyclonic Storm in Arabian Sea Heads Towards Gujarat Coast**
Cyclone Shakhti, the first cyclonic storm of the post-monsoon season in the Arabian Sea, was moving towards Dwarka off the Gujarat coast on Friday and is expected to intensify further, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The cyclonic storm, located over the northeast Arabian Sea, moved west-northwestwards at a speed of 8 kmph during the last six hours. As of 8:30 PM IST on Friday, Shakhti was centered approximately 300 km west of Dwarka, 330 km south-southwest of Karachi (Pakistan), and 360 km west of Porbandar.
Named by Sri Lanka, Shakhti is forecasted to move initially westwards before turning west-southwestwards. It is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by Saturday morning. The IMD bulletin states, “Thereafter, it is likely to continue moving west-southwestwards and reach central parts of the north and adjoining central Arabian Sea by October 5.”
### Impact on Coastal Areas and Fishermen
Under the influence of Cyclone Shakhti, sea conditions are very likely to be rough to very rough along and off the Gujarat-north Maharashtra coast and Pakistan coast until Sunday. The IMD has issued warnings urging fishermen not to venture into the northwest and adjoining northeast Arabian Sea, central Arabian Sea, and along the Gujarat-north Maharashtra coasts until Tuesday due to hazardous sea conditions.
### Recent Arabian Sea Cyclones
In recent years, the Arabian Sea has witnessed fewer cyclones compared to the Bay of Bengal, though storms like Tauktae (2021) and Biparjoy (2023) have formed in the region. According to current forecasts, Shakhti is likely to remain offshore and intensify over the next two days before it weakens starting Monday morning.
### Warnings for Maharashtra
The IMD has also issued cyclone warnings for several districts in Maharashtra with high to moderate alerts active between October 3 and 7. The affected districts include Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg.
Wind speeds of 45-55 kmph, gusting up to 65 kmph, are expected along the North Maharashtra coast between October 3 and 5. These speeds may increase as the cyclone intensifies. Additionally, rough to very rough sea conditions are forecasted along the northern Maharashtra coast until October 5.
Residents and fishermen in the affected regions are advised to stay updated with official weather advisories and exercise caution until the cyclone passes.
https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/cyclone-shakhti-intensifies-over-arabian-sea-near-gujarat-coast-23597153
