Coastal communities in India and Pakistan are bracing for a rare August cyclone, with heavy rains and strong winds prompting school closures and evacuations. The unusual storm, forming over land and moving towards the sea, has already claimed lives and caused widespread disruption.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has announced the formation of Cyclone Asna in the north Arabian Sea, marking the first August cyclone in the North Indian Ocean region since 1981. This cyclone developed from a deep depression that brought heavy rains to Gujarat, and is expected to intensify as it moves towards the coast of Pakistan and Iran.
A rare cyclonic storm is forming over the Arabian Sea, marking only the fourth such event in August since 1944. This cyclone, named ‘Asna’ by Pakistan, is expected to emerge over the Arabian Sea on August 30th and move towards the Oman coast. The storm will not impact the Indian coast directly.
InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., which operates India’s largest airline IndiGo, witnessed a significant increase in its net profit during the quarter ended March. The company reported a profit of 1,894.8 crore, more than double the amount earned in the same period last year. The positive performance of IndiGo came amid ongoing challenges in the aviation industry.
In other news, severe heatwave conditions continued to affect parts of North India while some regions in the south faced heavy rainfall. A cyclone alert has also been issued for the coast. Meanwhile, a tragic boiler blast in Dombivli near Mumbai claimed the lives of seven individuals and injured 48 others.
Wipro’s former CEO, Thierry Delaporte, emerged as the highest-paid top boss in the Indian IT sector for the financial year ended March 2024. According to filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, he earned $20.1 million during the period.
On the international front, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted military drills around Taiwan, prompting the island nation to deploy air, ground, and sea forces. The drills come amid tensions between the two sides over Taiwan’s status.
A portion of the dividend payout from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will be utilized to improve India’s fiscal deficit target for FY25, according to an anonymous source. The government aims to reduce the deficit from 5.14% of gross domestic product (GDP) to around 4.9-5%.
Two Delhi University (DU) colleges received bomb threat calls, leading to the deployment of fire tenders and Delhi Police officials.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd has asked Sony Group Corp’s India unit to pay a termination fee of $90 million for calling off a merger deal that would have created a $10-billion media behemoth.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an advisory for fishermen venturing into the sea off the coasts of northern and West Bengal due to an intense cyclone expected to hit the Bay of Bengal on May 23. The cyclone is forecasted to form a depression over the central Bay of Bengal by the morning of May 24, bringing with it high winds and heavy rainfall for Odisha, West Bengal, Gujarat, and Maharashtra between May 23 and May 27. Other states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Meghalaya, are expected to experience light rainfall until May 23, while Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu will face moderate rainfall and thunderstorms.
An intense cyclone is expected to form in the Bay of Bengal and impact Odisha, Maharashtra, and Gujarat between May 23-27, according to Mumbai Nowcast. The weather office has predicted heavy rainfall for Gujarat and around May 28, 2024. The cyclone is currently intensifying and expected to make landfall on the eastern coast before moving westward, impacting a wide area of the country.
