Cyclone Ockhi,could turn towards parts of coastal Maharashtra and South Gujarat, says the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
However, a senior scientist from the agency said it was unlikely to cause much havoc as there was not much moisture in the Arabian Sea for the weakening cyclone to draw on. “Recurving cyclones are rare but barring some clouds and maybe light rain, I don’t think it will be like what is now seen in South India,” he said.
The death toll in Kerala due to the cyclone has gone up to nine. Two people from Ernakulam were drowned in a storm surge. Authorities are trying to identify four bodies recovered from the sea.
As many as 6007 persons were accommodated in 34 relief camps opened by the district administration in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Malappuram.