The storm is likely to cross the coast between Mahua in Bhavnagar district and Nalia in Kutch district by Wednesday noon or night, officials at the Meteorological Department here said. However, it will affect the entire 1,600 km coast.

The State Government has sounded an alert in all coastal districts. Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel has deputed ministers and secretaries to monitor the disaster action plan in the 15 districts likely to be hit by the storm and sanctioned an exigency grant of Rs 50 lakh for each district. A control room was set up at the State headquarters to constantly monitor the situation. It has hotline links with all districts.

District authorities were asked to undertake evacuation of population from danger zones. In Kandla, people living in hutments have already been evacuated and all salt manufacturing related activity stopped. Danger signal number 10 has been hoisted. Navy, Air Force, police and other security agencies have been alerted for help in emergency.

An official spokesman said district authorities were asked to make arrangements to ensure supply of drinking water, medicine and essential commodities. Electricity generators and telecommunication equipment have been sent to danger zones along with medical and para-medical staff.

According to Director of Meteorology R K Kankane, the cyclonic storm lay centred at about 43 km southwest of Veraval and is likely to intensify further. It will move in a northerly direction for some time and then recurve towards northeast and cross the Gujarat coast.

Department sources said that due to the cyclonic wind, very heavy and scattered rainfall is likely at some places along and off Gujarat coast late tonight, and strong winds with velocity reaching about 120 km per hour are likely to begin by tomorrow morning in Kutch, Jamnagar, Junagarh, Amreli and Diu.

Kandla Port Trust Deputy Chairman Vipul Mitra said all port and salt related activities had been stopped and an alert sounded in the port area. Mitra said that security of all the 14 vessels currently berthed at the Port had been ensured and costly crafts moved to safer places in the bunder basin. A control room (telephone number 33708) is operational.

Reports from Rajkot said cyclone alerts had been issued in Porbandar, Jamnagar and Rajkot. The sky remained overcast in almost all parts of Saurashtra, but there was no rain.

The State Cabinet met in a special session in Gandhinagar to discuss the preparedness of the government machinery and make necessary arrangements. Collectors in all coastal districts were alerted. Officials said that the district authorities were cautioning people who were in the possible danger zone and evacuating them. However, it was difficult to ascertain at this moment exactly where the storm would hit.

Reports said that panic had gripped Kandla Port Trust and other smaller, ports and habitations along the coast. Authorities were evacuating hutment dwellers from the Port area as the storm was likely to hava an impact on the entire coastal line of Gujarat from Jamnagar to Porbander. Last year, a cyclonic storm had devastated the Kandla Port Trust area in Kutch district and coastal Jamnagar, killing over 1,200 and causing damage to public and private property worth Rs 1,200 crores.