Heavy Rains Cause Flood-Like Situation In Gujarat

Heavy rainfall continued to batter Gujarat Saturday with the Valsad and Navsari districts among the worst-affected. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said a depression had formed this morning over the northeast Arabian Sea and off the coast of Saurashtra, and that as of 11.30 am it was 70 km south-southwest of Okha and moving in a north-northwest direction.

The IMD has predicted squally weather wind speeds reaching 55 km per hour and gusts of 65 km per hour off the coast of Gujarat both today and tomorrow, i.e., Sunday, and warned fishermen not to venture out to sea and people on land to stay away from the coastline.

 Widespread flooding in parts of Gujarat, including rising water levels in Tapi River in Surat due to incessant heavy rainfall. A drone shot of the Tapi, taken Friday, shows a vast muddy stretch of the river in heavy flow.

On the horizon the river seems to expand almost as if it were a sea or an ocean and, as the camera pans, little patches of green can be seen in the middle of the river.