Several regions in western India including Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat have experienced heavy rainfall with gale-force winds. But there is no reported loss of life.
India’s Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that the cyclone could further intensify into an extremely severe storm with a maximum surface speed of 170-180 kilometre per hour in the next 24 hours.
Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘Kyarr’ intensified into Very Severe Cyclonic Storm over eastcentral Arabian Sea. To move west-northwestwards towards Oman coast during next 5 days. Very likely to further intensify into an extremely severe cyclonic storm during next 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/G6pJFUJdZW
— India Met. Dept. (@Indiametdept) October 26, 2019
The IMD forecast said the cyclone has significantly grown in terms of lateral movement over the sea.
“It is very likely to move west-northwestward towards the Oman Coast during the next five days. It is likely to intensify further into an extremely severe cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours.”
The Joint Typhoon Centre of the United States expects the storm to peak after three days, but will then start to weaken on approach to the Oman coastline.
India’s southern Karnataka state was battered with heavy downpours and floods last week, damaging hundreds of dwellings and infrastructure.
Karnataka has been one of the worst-hit in this year’s monsoon, which has claimed over 100 lives and flattened crops in over 10 lakh hectares. The state has witnessed one of the worst floods in over a century.
