VAYU-FLIGHTS

400 flights affected in city as cyclone Vayu approaches Guj
    Mumbai, Jun 12 (PTI) Air passengers to and from the
megapolis had a tough time Wednesday as nearly 400 flights
were affected due to bad weather caused by the cycle Vayu
which hit the neighbouring Gujarat coast, according to an
airport official.
    The city airport is one of the busiest in the country
handling over 900 aircraft movements daily.
    The official said as many as 194 departing flights and
192 arrivals were delayed in the wake of the bad weather due
to the cyclone Vayu.
    At least two flights were diverted from the city, the
official said.
    Meanwhile, the approaching cyclone has forced the
Gujarat government to evacuate as many as 1.6 lakh people from
the coastal areas of the low-lying areas of Saurashtra and the
Kutch regions. The cyclone is expected to make a landfall
Thursday.
    Operations at ports and airports in these regions have
been suspended as precautionary measure, officials said.
    As per the latest weather report, cyclone Vayu, which
has turned into a 'very severe cyclonic storm', has changed
its course slightly and would now hit Gujarat coast anywhere
between Veraval in the south and Dwarka in the west in
Thursday afternoon, officials said, adding the cyclone is now
situated around 280 km south of Veraval.
    After making the landfall, the cyclone is likely to
move along and parallel to Saurashtra and Kutch coast, they
said. PTI IAS RAM
BEN BEN