Cyclone Phyan crossed the western coast on Wednesday just close to Mumbai but spared the metropolis and weakened without causing any major damage bringing relief after authorities sounded an alert and shut schools and offices in the financial capital.

The storm however dumped a huge amount of rain after it roared towards the coast with winds gusting upto 75 kmph amid reports that 200 fishermen were missing in the rough seas.

"The cyclonic storm has crossed the coast between Mumbai and Alibaug at 1530-1630 hours and will further move towards north and north east. It is expected to weaken within the next six hours," IMD (Mumbai) Director Sati Devi said

Cyclone alert was removed in Mumbai and Gujarat, Met officials said. However, authorities were on guard. The cyclone has been named by Myanmar and it comes from the Burmese word, 'Phyan' which means a "cherry which has fallen off a tree."

The weather bureau has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places with extremely heavy rains at isolated places in Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts in Maharashtra, Goa, districts of Madhya Pradesh and south Gujarat over the next 24 hours.

A Mumbai International Airport Limited spokesperson said there was an average delay in flight departures by two hours.

School and college Students and Government employees rushed home in pelting rain and extra buses were deployed.

Train services on western and central lines were running as per schedule while traffic snarls were reported from several parts of Mumbai.

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