Cyclone Vayu will not make landfall on the Gujarat coast on Thursday as it was expected, and will pass by the Saurashtra region later in the day, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

IMD scientist Manorama Mohanty told the media here: "Cyclone Vayu will not hit Gujarat. It will pass nearby from Veraval, Porbander and Dwarka."

It is likely to move north-northwest and then north-westwards "skirting the Saurashtra coast", Mohanty said.

Pankaj Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, said that although the IMD has informed that the cyclone has changed its course, "it may still cause heavy winds and rains, and so we are still on stand-by mode".

Skymet Weather stated that the 'Very Severe Cyclone' may weaken into a Category 1 Cyclonic Storm from Category 2, though the wind speed will be 135 km per hour to 145 km per hour gusting up to 175 km per hour.

Gujarat has, meanwhile, already evacuated nearly three lakh people and the Diu Union Territory, that touches the Saurashtra coast, have moved over 10,000 people to safety.

--IANS

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