The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a severe weather warning as Cyclone ‘Shakhti’ has formed and intensified over the Arabian Sea. The storm, packing a wind speed of 100 kmph and gusting, is the first cyclonic storm of the post-monsoon season in this region and is raising the likelihood of heavy rainfall, strong winds, and turbulent sea conditions in the coming days.
Current Location and Trajectory
As of Saturday, 12:00 PM, the severe Cyclonic Storm Shakhti was centered over the northwest and adjoining northeast Arabian Sea. The IMD reported that it was located approximately:
- 420 km away from Dwarka in Gujarat.
- 470 km west of Dwarka and west-southwest of Naliya.
- 420 km southwest of Karachi (Pakistan).
- 600 km east-northeast of Masirah (Oman).
Shakhti has been moving westwards at a speed of 18 kmph. Its predicted trajectory involves continuing its west-southwestwards movement to reach the northwest and adjoining west-central Arabian Sea by October 5.
The IMD forecasts a subsequent shift in the storm’s path, expecting it to recurve east-northeastwards and gradually weaken starting from the morning of October 6.
Warnings and Preparedness
The IMD alert has prompted state authorities in Maharashtra to mobilize disaster management teams and make preparations for potential evacuations in the affected coastal and inland districts.
Sea conditions are expected to be rough to very rough along and off the Gujarat-North Maharashtra coast and the Pakistan coast until Sunday. The weather office has issued a strong warning advising fishermen not to venture into the northwest Arabian Sea, adjoining areas of the northeast Arabian Sea, central Arabian Sea, and along the Gujarat-north Maharashtra coasts until Tuesday.
Naming the Cyclone
The cyclone is named ‘Shakhti’ with an ‘h’, a name proposed by Sri Lanka under the regional cyclone-naming system. This system involves 13 member countries from the region, who each submit names that are then used sequentially as storms reach cyclonic strength (62 km/h). Although the spelling differs from the common Indian term “Shakti” (meaning “power” or “strength”), the transliteration reflects Sri Lanka’s preference and the agreed-upon naming conventions.
The Arabian Sea has historically seen fewer cyclones compared to the Bay of Bengal, though recent notable storms include Tauktae (2021) and Biparjoy (2023).