Cyclone Asna forms Over Kutch

Cyclone Asna has formed over the Kutch coast in Gujarat and adjoining areas of Pakistan, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on August 30. The cyclonic storm – a rare land-originating one in August and headed to the Arabian Sea – is expected to move further away from the western coast in the next 48 hours.

Meaning of Asna

The name Asna, which means “the one to be acknowledged or praised”. Between 1891 and 2023, only three cyclonic storms formed in the Arabian Sea in August (in 1976, 1964, and 1944), according to the IMD.

Who gave this name?

Asna name has been given by Pakistan.

Low pressure off A.P.

Simultaneously, a well-marked low pressure area – a very early precursor to a cyclone has formed in the Bay of Bengal off north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha. The IMD has forecast light rain over both States. It is likely to move further west-northwestwards towards north Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south Odisha coasts and intensify into a depression during the next 36 hours.

Cyclone Asna forms over Kutch

The build-up from cyclone Asna resulted in torrential rainfall in Gujarat this week. Rain-related incidents in Gujarat claimed 26 lives over the past three days. More than 18,000 people have been relocated, and around 1,200 rescued from flood-affected areas in the State. In some cases, security forces used helicopters to evacuate people to safer locations, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).

Heavy to very heavy rainfall

On the back of cyclone, light to moderate rainfall occurred at most places in Gujarat and heavy to very heavy rainfall was reported at isolated places over Kutch and adjoining districts of Saurashtra on August 30, the IMD noted. This is the first cyclonic storm in the Arabian Sea in August since 1976.