This picture on the Indian Metrorological Department website shows the position of Cyclone Nilofar (in red)
Officials in Gujarat were preparing on Monday to evacuate residents and stockpile food as they braced for another "very severe cyclonic storm" due to slam into the west coast on Friday morning.
Cyclone Nilofar, building in the Arabian Sea, is due to hit Gujarat and Pakistan's southern coastal areas on Friday morning, the Indian Meterological Department said.
"Our taluka (district) level officers have been sent to villages in the coastal areas to identify the population that is to be relocated," said M S Patel, an official from Gujarat's Kutch district that is expected to bear the brunt of the storm.
"We will start shifting people in the coastal regions from tomorrow morning," he said.
The National Disaster Response Force has been put on alert in Gujarat, while Chief Minister Anandiben Patel held a high-level meeting today to take stock of the situation.
"While we are preparing for the worst to happen, let us also pray that cyclone Nilofar gets subdued and doesn't bring serious damage," the chief minister said today.
The storm, packing winds of up to 125 kilometres (83 miles) per hour, comes after Cyclone Hudhud hit the east coast earlier this month leaving nearly 20 people dead in Andhra Pradesh.
Weather officials said the cyclone may weaken before it hits land, though it could still bring strong gusty winds and rains. India has six categories of tropical storms based on wind speeds and damage expected, with Nilofar falling into category five, the second from the top.
"It would become quite weaker when it would hit ours and Indian coastal areas," Pakistan's chief meteorologist Touseef Alam said."But strong gusty winds and modest to heavy rains with thunderstorm are expected," he added
Cyclone Phailin, which struck India last October, had winds of up to 220 kph and caused extensive damage.
India, particularly its east coast, and neighbouring Bangladesh are routinely hit by bad storms between April and November that cause deaths and widespread damage to property.