Cyclone Ockhi to hit Gujarat by midnight

Cyclone Ockhi has moved closed to Gujarat and is expected to hit the southern coast near Surat by midnight. The state is geared to counter 'the worst situation' that the cyclone may cause.

The authorities have closed schools in the region till Wednesday. Though the Coast Guard has called back around 13,000 fishing boats, around 700 boats from Dwarka and around 300 in other places were still out at sea.

"We are hopeful of navigating them back with the help of the Coast Guard," reported IANS quoting Pankaj Kumar, Principal Secretary, Revenue Department.

The cyclone is approaching Gujarat steadily and now lies centred in the Arabian Sea just 390 kms away from Surat.

The official said the wind velocity was expected to reach around 60 to 70 km, or even "up to even 80 km per hour in the coastal areas of Surat and Valsad".

Five teams of the National Disaster Response Force ( NDRF) and one of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been stationed at Surat and other coastal areas.

At least nine districts in the state have received light showers or drizzle since the morning.

(With PTI/IANS inputs)