A deep depression that brought torrential rains and floods to Gujarat intensified into Cyclone Asna on Friday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The cyclone is currently off the coast of Kachchh and the adjacent areas of Pakistan. This marks the first cyclonic storm in the Arabian Sea during August since 1976, with the name Asna being provided by Pakistan.
Between 1891 and 2023, only three cyclonic storms have formed in the Arabian Sea during August, according to the IMD. These occurred in 1944, 1964, and 1976. The 1976 cyclone originated over Odisha, moved west-northwestward, entered the Arabian Sea, followed a looping track, and eventually weakened near the Oman coast in the northwest Arabian Sea. The 1944 cyclone intensified after emerging into the Arabian Sea but weakened soon after. In 1964, another short-lived cyclone developed near the South Gujarat coast and quickly dissipated near the shore.
The deep depression over the Kachchh coast and the adjoining areas of Pakistan and the northeast Arabian Sea moved westward with a speed of 6 kmph during the past 6 hours, intensified into cyclonic storm 'Asna' (pronounced as As-Na) and lay centered at 1130 hours over the same region, 190 km west-northwest of Bhuj (Gujarat), the IMD said.
The IMD has stated that Cyclone Asna will continue moving west-northwestwards over the northeast Arabian Sea, away from the Indian coast, over the next two days. A deep depression, which has wind speeds ranging from 52 kmph to 61 kmph, intensified into a cyclone, characterized by wind speeds between 63 kmph and 87 kmph.
In Gujarat, rain-related incidents have tragically claimed 26 lives over the past four days. More than 18,000 people have been relocated, and approximately 1,200 have been rescued from flood-affected areas in the state.