New Delhi:The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘red alert’ for coastal Karnataka and parts of Gujarat in response to the rare Cyclone Asna threat, forecasting very heavy rain for Saturday, August 31. Named by Pakistan, Cyclone Asna is the first cyclonic storm to develop in the Arabian Sea in August since 1976, and is now advancing west-northwest, away from the Indian coast. This is unusual for this time of year, and the storm is projected to head towards Oman.

The deep depression over the Kachchh coast has intensified into Cyclone Asna and is currently located approximately 190 kilometres west-northwest of Bhuj, Gujarat. In the past few hours, wind speeds have increased to 63-87 kmph, causing heavy rainfall and resulting in the loss of 26 lives and evacuation of over 18,000 individuals in Gujarat. Despite a decrease in rainfall on Friday morning, there is still significant waterlogging in several towns and villages due to overflowing rivers.

The State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) is closely monitoring the situation and taking necessary measures to mitigate the impact of the cyclone.