Cyclone Asna, a rare meteorological event, has captivated attention as it traversed across the Indian subcontinent. Originating as a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal on August 16, it developed into a cyclonic storm over the Arabian Sea, making it only the fourth cyclone to form in this region during August since 1944. The previous occurrences of such rare cyclones were in 1944, 1964, and 1976.
As of August 31, at 3.30 pm, Cyclone Asna was moving at a speed of 75 kilometers per hour in the Arabian Sea. It is expected to continue its westward-northwestward movement over the northeast and northwest Arabian Sea, moving away from the Indian coast within the next 24 hours. This rare cyclonic storm has moved away from the Gujarat coast since its development.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has provided updates on the cyclone’s trajectory and potential impact. On August 31, the IMD reported that Cyclone Asna was positioned over the northeast and adjoining northwest Arabian Sea, located 360 km west of Naliya, 260 km southwest of Karachi, 300 km southeast of Pasni, and 720 km east of Muscat. The IMD predicts that the cyclone will maintain its intensity until the morning of September 1, and then weaken to a depression by the morning of September 2.
In anticipation of the cyclone’s effects, the IMD has issued an orange alert for several regions. These include Saurashtra-Kutch, South Interior Karnataka, and Kerala on August 30, North Interior Karnataka on August 31, and Gujarat, Konkan-Goa, and Madhya Maharashtra on September 2-3. Heavy rainfall is predicted over Rayalaseema, Interior Karnataka from August 31 to September 2, and Coastal Karnataka, Vidarbha on August 31 and September 2. Similar conditions are expected over West Madhya Pradesh, Marathwada on September 1 and 2, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha on August 31, and the Gujarat Region from September 2 to 4.
The IMD has issued advisories for fishermen, urging them to avoid venturing out in the northeast and adjoining Eastcentral Arabian Sea. Additionally, fishermen have been advised to steer clear of the Gujarat coast and adjoining North Maharashtra coasts until August 31. Fishermen are also advised to avoid the northeast and adjoining Eastcentral Arabian Sea off the Gujarat Coast and along and off the Pakistan coasts from August 31 to September 1.
The IMD has outlined the development of Cyclone Asna, tracing its path from a low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining West Bengal and Bangladesh on August 16. The system moved across Bangladesh, West Bengal, and Jharkhand, becoming a well-marked low-pressure area over southeast Uttar Pradesh and northeast Madhya Pradesh by August 24. Cyclone Asna further intensified into a depression over northwest Madhya Pradesh on August 25, then into a deep depression over East Rajasthan on August 26, eventually affecting Gujarat on August 29.
