Heavy Rains to Lash Several States as Cyclone Gulab Weakens Into Depression: IMD

The IMD said that Cyclone Gulab is expected to weaken in the next 24 hours.

A flooded locality at Mumbra in Thane on Tuesday, 28 September.

Photo: PTI

Video Producer: Naman Shah

Video Editor: Prajjwal Kumar

Heavy rains lashed several parts of Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru on Tuesday, 28 September, as Cyclone Gulab weakened into a depression.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone is expected to weaken in the next 24 hours, The Indian Express reported. On Sunday, three people were killed in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh due to the Cyclone.

According to PTI, no major waterlogging was reported from Mumbai, where, officials said, public transport services, including trains, remained unaffected.

However, IMD issued a red alert for the Palghar district and an orange alert for Mumbai and Thane "indicating thunderstorms with lightning, gusty winds, and very heavy rainfall at isolated places for Mumbai and neighbouring areas."

In Hyderabad, vehicular traffic was barred on two bridges across Musi river, which was in spate on Tuesday following release of flood water from twin reservoirs of Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar, IANS reported.

In Bangalore, there were reports of waterlogging, inundated roads, which affected the traffic movement.

Meanwhile, one person was reported to have died and three others were reported to be missing after a state transport bus was swept away while crossing an inundated bridge in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district on Tuesday morning, officials said, as per The Times of India.

In Telangana, Ishaq Pasha, a motorbike mechanic returning from Hyderabad to his village in neighbouring Vikarabad district, was washed away along with his bike while crossing a stream.

Meanwhile, the IMD said, "Depression (remnant of Cyclonic Storm 'GULAB') weakened into a well-marked low-pressure area over western parts of Vidarbha and neighbourhood," reported ANI.

"Depression lay centred over Telangana and adjoining areas of Marathwada and Vidarbha to weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area during the next six hours," the agency added.

HR Biswas, the director of IMD Bhubaneswar, told ANI, "Under the influence of cyclonic circulation, a low-pressure area formed over Northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining coastal areas of West Bengal, due to which heavy rainfall would occur in districts adjoining to Jharkhand and West Bengal during next two days."

"As per weather forecast, moderate rainfall will occur in northern coastal areas of Odisha and heavy rainfall in few areas during the next 24 hours. Fishermen are advised not to go in the sea till 30 September," Biswas added.

Earlier, the Mumbai Regional Meteorological Centre had issued a newcast warning of "likely moderate to intense spells of rain at isolated places" in the districts of Mumbai, Palghar, Thane, and Raigad.

"Possibility of thunder/lightning accompanied with gusty winds in some areas. Take precautions while moving out," the warning stated, according to PTI.

More rains were also expected across many parts of Telangana owing to the remnant of cyclonic storm Gulab, the IMD in Hyderabad said.

The IMD had also warned of a moderate to high risk of flash floods in Sangareddy and Kamareddy districts of Telangana. The cyclonic storm over north Telangana and adjoining south Chattisgarh and Vidarbha was likely to move west-northwestwards and weaken into a well marked low-pressure area during the next 12 hours, the IMD had predicted in its morning bulletin.

(With inputs from PTI, IANS, The Indian Express and The Times of India)