The India Meteorological Department (IMD), on Friday morning, said that deep depression in the Arabian Sea has intensified into Cyclone Shaheen. The IMD also added that it is further likely to intensify into a ‘severe cyclonic storm’ by evening. The Cyclone Warning Division of the IMD said that the system is moving from the Indian coast.

“The cyclonic storm Shaheen over northeast Arabian Sea and neighbourhood moved west-northwestwards with a speed of about 20 kmph today over central parts of north Arabian Sea,” it said.

“It is very likely to further intensify into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours and move west-northwestwards skirting Makran coast (Pakistan) during next 36 hours. Thereafter it is likely to re-curve west-southwestwards, move towards Oman coast across the Gulf of Oman and weaken gradually,” it added.

Cyclone Shaheen was formed from the remnants of Cyclone Gulab, which had hit the east coast on September 26.

Cyclone Gulab’s intensity had reduced further as it traversed central India, lashing parts of Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.

As its remnants entered the Arabian Sea, they intensified further into a cyclonic storm on Friday morning.

It is a rare instance that one cyclone that formed over the Bay of Bengal has traversed the breadth of the country to reach the west coast and again intensify into a cyclone.

Cyclone ‘Gulab’  which crossed the Bay of Bengal coast near Kalingapatnam on Sunday night, weakened into a depression and caused heavy rains in several districts of Andhra Pradesh. It also left a trail of destruction.

Port city Visakhapatnam received a 30-year high rainfall of over 33.3 cm in 24 hours under the cyclone’s impact and left a woman dead, taking the overall toll to two since Sunday.

On Sunday, a fisherman was killed in the cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal in the Srikakulam district.

Agricultural and horticultural crops in over 1.63 lakh acres suffered damage due to the heavy downpour in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna districts.