Cyclone Ockhi to Make Landfall in Surat, Mumbai Around Midnight; Election Rallies Cancelled

Ahmedabad, Dec 5: The Cyclone Ockhi is expected to make landfall in coastal Gujarat and Maharashtra’s Mumbai by Tuesday midnight and may cause heavy rains in several parts of the two states. The Cyclone Ockhi is expected to cross Surat, bringing heavy rainfall in coastal districts of Gujarat, said the Indian Meteorological Department in Ahmedabad. Several political rallies for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections were cancelled following the stormy weather conditions.

Gujarat Chief Minister Rupani cancelled three election rallies in his Assembly constituency Rajkot and rushed to Surat to take stock of the preparedness ahead of Cyclone Ockhi’s arrival. “Entire Surat administration is prepared to deal with any eventualities in case of possible landfall of Cyclone Ockhi. We are focusing on the cyclone, the election is secondary,” he told reporters. The government has decided to keep communication lines open to provide rescue and relief.