A deep depression over the Kutch coast and surrounding areas of Pakistan and the northeast Arabian Sea has intensified into a cyclonic storm named ‘Asna’ (pronounced ‘As-Na’), according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). As of 11:30 am on Friday, the storm was centered approximately 190 km west-northwest of Bhuj, 100 km west-northwest of Naliya in Gujarat, and 170 km southeast of Karachi, Pakistan.
The IMD has reported that Cyclone Asna is expected to continue moving west-northwestwards over the northeast Arabian Sea, further distancing itself from the Indian coast over the next two days as it heads towards Oman.
Despite its departure, the storm’s presence has already brought heavy rainfall to parts of Gujarat. Between 6 am and 2 pm on Friday, Kutch and the Saurashtra region recorded significant rainfall, with Mundra in Kutch district receiving the highest at 26mm. Patan-Veraval in Gir Somnath district followed with 18mm, Dwarka town in Devbhumi Dwarka district recorded 16mm, and Anjar in Kutch saw 15mm.
In response to the approaching storm, Kutch district collector Amit Arora has urged residents in the vulnerable talukas of Abdasa, Mandvi, and Lakhpat to evacuate their huts and makeshift homes, seeking shelter in schools or other sturdy buildings.
Cyclonic storms over the Arabian Sea in August are rare, with only three such storms recorded between 1891 and 2023 (in 1976, 1964, and 1944). The 1976 cyclone originated over Odisha, moved west-northwestwards, and weakened near the Oman coast. The 1944 cyclone also intensified after reaching the Arabian Sea but eventually weakened. The 1964 cyclone formed near the south Gujarat coast before quickly dissipating.
Given the current environmental conditions, with sea surface temperatures ranging from 27-30 degrees Celsius over the Bay of Bengal and around 27-28 degrees Celsius in the Arabian Sea, Cyclone Asna is not expected to intensify significantly due to colder sea temperatures in the Arabian Sea.
Meanwhile, a well-marked low-pressure area over the west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal, near north Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha, is expected to move further west-northwestwards. The IMD has forecasted that this system may intensify into a depression within the next 36 hours, bringing very heavy rainfall to Odisha, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha (Maharashtra), and Telangana over the next 2-3 days.
