Cyclone Phyan threatens Mumbai, India's western coast

New Delhi- A cyclone over the Arabian Sea was likely to intensify and cross India's western coast near the financial capital of Mumbai, prompting states in the region to sound a high alert, officials said Wednesday. The cyclone, named Phyan by the Indian Meteorological Department, lay about 350 kilometres south-southwest of Mumbai as the agency on Wednesday issued an orange alert - one step below the red alert put out for a severe cyclone.

The cyclone was likely to make landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday between the Alibagh and Valsad areas, 110 kilometres south and 200 kilometres north of Mumbai, respectively, the department said. It was expected to bring wind up to 80 kilometres per hour.

Mumbai started experiencing rains and high winds Wednesday afternoon, and the weather was expected to worsen later in the day.

Authorities in Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital, shut down schools and government offices and asked people to remain indoors. Several flights in and out of Mumbai were delayed.

Maharashtra official Johny Joseph said the administration had moved rescue teams to coastal areas. He added that people in low-lying regions would be evacuated as heavy rains could inundate several areas.

The final one-day cricket match between India and Australia scheduled in Mumbai was also likely to be cancelled. But some weather officials said the cyclone could brush past Mumbai.

"It's likely to move northwards parallel to [the Mumbai] coast, so the cyclone may not hit Mumbai directly," RV Sharma, a senior Mumbai weather official, told reporters.

"But there could be severe weather disturbances which will bring heavy rains and strong winds," he said. "The sea will become very rough."

The cyclone alert was issued not just for Maharashtra but also for Gujarat state. One of Gujarat's main cities, Surat, known for its diamond-cutting industry, could be the worst hit, weather officials said.

Widespread rains were also expected in the southern resort state of Goa, Karnataka and central Madhya Pradesh.The coastal regions were expected to witness heavy rains and inclement weather for the next two days, and fishermen in those states were advised not to venture out to sea, officials added.