Cyclone Vayu to affect millions in India

Tropical Cyclone Vayu is fast approaching the western state of Gujarat in India, and could impact the lives of six million people. The cyclone is expected to reach land by Thursday, 13 June.

Vayu, meaning ‘wind’ in Hindi, is reportedly going to bring the largest storm the northwest part of India has seen in decades. It is the second massive storm India has faced this year.

According to CNN nearly 300,000 people are being evacuated to approximately 700 shelter homes. Schools and colleges in the areas that will be affected will remain closed until Friday.

Thirty-nine National Disaster Response Force teams, consisting of 45 people each, have been deployed to help local authorities. The teams will assist in evacuation, search, relief and rescue operations. The army also has 34 teams on standby.

Winds are expected to exceed 150 km/h, according to The National. 

A travel warning has been issued. Flights from Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru have been delayed or cancelled. Those flying in and out of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai are also facing disruption because of poor visibility.

Low-cost airline IndiGo has requested that passengers check if their flights have been delayed, diverted or cancelled because of the bad weather, which has caused heavy air traffic congestion in Mumbai.

Travellers to the area should monitor their airline’s social media pages to stay updated on any changes.

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