Cyclone Ockhi May Not Hit Gujarat Coast, PM Rally Changed | Read

Cyclone Ockhi, which was expected to make landfall near Gujarat's Surat, is gradually weakening and may not hit the coast as predicted earlier, the Meteorological Centre has said. The cyclonic storm has turned into a "deep depression" and may hit south Gujarat only as a "depression" late tonight, according to an official statement. Gujarat is on alert, with rescue and relief teams stationed at its coast. Several top leaders were forced to cancel their election rallies in the state, which saw rain in several parts through the day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election rally in Surat, which was to take place on Wednesday, has been moved to Thursday. Ockhi passed by Mumbai earlier in the day bringing mostly light showers, but caused no damage to life or property, officials said. It earlier caused havoc in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep islands.