Cyclone Shakti, the first post-monsoon cyclonic storm of 2025, has intensified over the east-central Arabian Sea, prompting heavy rain alerts for coastal Maharashtra, including Mumbai and Konkan districts. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the storm is currently packing winds of up to 100 kmph, churning rough seas along the west coast.
The IMD said Shakti is likely to move west-northwestward over the next 48 hours, gradually weakening as it drifts away from the Indian coast. However, officials have warned that fishermen should avoid venturing into the Arabian Sea, and ports have been advised to hoist cautionary signals.
“The system will not make landfall along the Gujarat coast, and its direct impact on Gujarat is expected to be minimal,” said an IMD official, adding that coastal areas of Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg may experience heavy rainfall and strong winds between October 4 and 6.
Named by Sri Lanka, Shakti marks the beginning of the post-monsoon cyclone season, which typically spans October to December. The storm’s formation follows a period of intense heat and humidity over western India, conditions that meteorologists say helped fuel rapid cyclonic development.
Authorities in Mumbai have activated disaster management units and placed emergency response teams on standby. Local trains and flights are operating normally, though the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has urged residents to remain alert amid forecasts of intense rainfall and gusty winds.
Environmental experts say such storms underline the growing unpredictability of weather systems in the Arabian Sea, with rising sea-surface temperatures contributing to more frequent and severe cyclonic activity in recent years.
