NEW DELHI: A deep depression that triggered torrential rains and floods in Gujarat on Friday intensified into cyclone Asna off the coast of Kachchh and the adjoining areas of Pakistan, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.This is the first cyclonic storm in the Arabian Sea in August since 1976. The name Asna has been given by Pakistan.Between 1891 and 2023, only three cyclonic storms formed in the Arabian Sea during August (in 1976, 1964, and 1944), according to the IMD.The 1976 cyclone originated over Odisha, moved west-northwestward, entered the Arabian Sea, followed a looping track, and weakened over the northwest Arabian Sea near the Oman coast. The 1944 cyclone intensified after emerging into the Arabian Sea before weakening. In 1964, another short-lived cyclone developed near the South Gujarat coast and weakened near the coast.Meanwhile, the IMD on Friday forecasted “very heavy” rains in Gujarat and issued a ‘red’ alert for coastal Karnataka due to the threat of Cyclone Asna.The deep depression over the Kachchh coast and adjoining areas of Pakistan and the Northeast Arabian Sea moved westward with a speed of 6 kmph during the past 6 hours, intensified into cyclonic storm ‘Asna’ (pronounced as As-Na) and lay centred at 1130 hours over the same region, 190 km west-northwest of Bhuj (Gujarat). It will continue moving nearly west-northwestwards over the northeast Arabian Sea, away from the Indian coast, over the next two days, the weather department said.
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