Gujarat spared Vayu's wrath as it changes course overnight

PORBANDAR: Cyclone Vayu will not hit Gujarat as it changed its trajectory overnight and moved further into the sea, the weather department said. However, coastal areas in the state continue to be on high alert as strong winds and rough seas are expected for the next 24 to 48 hours. Over three lakh people were evacuated from the coastal district and the union territory of Diu on Wednesday. As many as 52 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed for rescue and relief operations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also tweeted to say that the centre was constantly monitoring the situation. Apart from the NDRF, the Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Air Force and the Border Security Force too have been put on high alert.

It was "very likely" to keep moving in the same direction, but still skirt the coast with winds of between 135-145 kph and gusts of 160 kph, forecasters said.

The Western Railways cancelled 70 trains and curtailed the journeys of 28 others.

All schools and colleges along the coastline will remain closed until the warning has passed, and naval diving teams have been kept on standby.

Flight operations at airports in Porbandar, Diu, Bhavnagar, Keshod and Kandla have been suspended for 24 hours from midnight.

Cyclone Vayu made an impact in nearby Mumbai too, with nearly 400 flights being affected.