Kerala: Cyclone Ockhi 60 km off the TVPM coast, 4 dead in KeralaDecember 01,2021   |  Source: Manorama Online

The severe cyclonic storm, Ockhi, is gaining in strength and raging at a furious pace 60 km off the Kerala coast, a release from the Indian Meterological Department said. Rain and wind are expected to gain in strength and batter the state in the next 48 hours.

Madhavan Rajeevan, secretary in the Ministry of Earth Sciences said in Delhi, speaking to PTI, said the archipelago in the southern part of the Arabian Sea will start experiencing heavy rainfall and strong winds from Friday. “It will hit the islands on December 2,” Rajeevan said. Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram, has been severely impacted by the heavy rain and strong winds.

Kerala Fisheries minister Mercy Kutty Amma said that all the necessary arrangements have been made to ensure that the affected population is shifted to temporary shelters to ensure their safety. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also said the state machinery was keeping a close watch on the developments and is prepared to meet any emergency. The wind speed is expected to pick up to 120 km/ph, an IMD release said. The waves may reach a height of 4.2 meters and the cyclone is expected to spare a landfall in Kerala. The unprecedented weather condition along the western coast has triggered heavy rain and strong winds in the southern districts,