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Cyclone's movement slows down off Okha coast

The cyclone that was building up in the Arabian Sea seems to have become stationary. In five hours since this evening, it moved just 30km, from 180km to 150km off Okha port in Jamnagar district, meteorology department director R K Kankane said in Ahmedabad late tonight.

Kankane said watching the cyclone's movement in the last few hours, it appears likely to hit the coast anywhere between Naliya in Kutch district and Veraval in Junagadh district of Saurashtra region at 0300 IST tomorrow.

But he said it was not certain the cyclone would move towards the hinterland. If the temperature of the sea went up beyond 26 degrees Celsius, it would mean the cyclone is gaining strength and will strike with wind speeds of 220kmph. Alternatively, it will lose strength as the night progresses.

Meanwhile, the main control room at Gandhinagar said so far 40,000 people had been evacuated to safer places.

UNI

EARLIER REPORT:
Saurashtra, Kutch await cyclone

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