PUNE: Cyclonic storm Gulab, brewing over the Bay of Bengal, may bring isolated heavy to very heavy rain in parts of Maharashtra, especially Marathwada and Vidarbha, around the September 27-28 period.
Madhya Maharashtra and Konkan are also on a rain alert. As a result of the cyclone, the IMD has issued warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy falls at isolated places over Vidarbha on September 27, heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over Marathwada, and heavy rainfall at isolated places over Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra on that day.
Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning is also very likely at isolated places over Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, Konkan and Goa during next 48 hours till September 27. On September 28, there is a heavy to very heavy rainfall alert for isolated places in Madhya Maharashtra and Konkan-Goa; and isolated heavy rain alert in Marathwada. Thunderstorms accompanied with lightning are also very likely at isolated places over Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, Konkan-Goa on September 28.
Anupam Kashyapi, head of the weather forecasting division, IMD Pune, told TOI, “The deep depression over the northwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal moved nearly westwards at a speed of seven km per hour on Saturday and intensified into the cyclonic storm, Gulab, by evening. It is likely to move nearly westwards and cross north Andhra Pradesh-south Odisha coasts between Kalingapatnam and Gopalpur around evening of September 26 (Sunday).”
Kashyapi said cyclonic storms were not very common during the monsoon. “An upper air cyclonic circulation over the Myanmar coast and the adjoining Gulf of Martaban a couple of days ago developed fast enough to transform into a well marked low pressure, then a depression, a deep depression and gradually a cyclonic storm (Gulab) on Saturday. The last cyclone that had affected our region was Yaas, a very severe cyclonic storm, in May this year,” said Kashyapi.
The path of Gulab is such that it will mainly affect parts of south and east Maharashtra on September 27 and north and central Maharashtra on September 28. “By the time it moves towards north Maharashtra, its strength may weaken. The rain in Maharashtra from September 26 evening/night is likely to be a result of Gulab and its remnants,” he aid.
