Cyclone Ockhi, which has already desecrated parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep has changed its course and is now heading north towards Maharashtra and Gujarat.
The cyclone has claimed at least 38 lives in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Over 690 fishermen have been rescued so far, and 100 people have been reported missing due to the cyclone.
According to the Met department, the cyclone is is now just 390 kms away from Surat. It is expected to make landfall in the next 48 hours, according to the Indian Meteorological Department.
The Navy said that ten of its ships and eight aircraft were involved in the ongoing search and rescue operations in Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands, due to the cyclone.
A total of 1,047 persons, including fishermen in Lakshadweep, have been rescued so far.
As many as 1,540 people, including fishermen, affected by Cyclone Ockhi in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Lakshadweep were rescued by various agencies, the government said 4 December.
Cyclone Ockhi, which has caused widespread damage in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts, will not be termed a national disaster, Minister of State for Tourism KJ Alphons said earlier.
The Kerala government decided to approach the Centre for declaring Ockhi a national disaster.
Fishermen who were out at sea were most severely affected by the cyclone. Many successful attempts have been made to rescue those stranded, but locating them and sending help has proven to be extremely difficult.
Many family members of the missing fishermen had staged a protest demanding that the government take steps to identify the missing fishermen in the district.
The damage caused by Cyclone Ockhi has been so severe that many families have been forced to seek refuge in makeshift camps. Important roads leading to the affected areas and the relief camps have also been damaged.
This makes it difficult to transport basic essentials like food and clean water to people living in relief camps.
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