Surat: Dumas Beach closure extended till August 7 due to heavy rain

The Surat Police have extended the closure of Dumas Beach until August 7 due to persistent heavy rainfall and safety concerns. The IMD has also issued red and orange weather warnings for multiple districts across Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Assam.

Dumas Beach Closure Extended

The Surat Police on Sunday extended the closure of Dumas Beach for the public till August 7 in view of continuous heavy rainfall and safety concerns, an official said on Sunday.

Speaking to ANI, Police Inspector of Dumas Police Station MV Patel said the beach had initially been closed to visitors till July 31 due to heavy rains in Surat city. However, as the rainfall has continued, the restrictions have been extended for another week. "Due to heavy rainfall in Surat city, Dumas Beach was initially closed to the public until July 31. As the rainfall continues, the closure order has now been extended until August 7. Considering safety concerns, public access has been restricted," Patel said.

IMD Issues Weather Warnings

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday issued a red warning for thunderstorms and lightning accompanied by gusty winds of around 60 kmph and heavy rain exceeding 15 mm per hour in several districts of Gujarat and Kerala for the next two to three hours.

According to the IMD's district-wise nowcast warning issued at 2:18 AM on Saturday, the warning remained valid until 5:18 AM. In Kerala, the red warning was in effect for the Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam, and Pathanamthitta districts. In Gujarat, the red warning was issued for the Ahmedabad, Anand, Aravalli, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Botad, Gandhinagar, Kachchh, Kheda, Mahesana, Morbi, Patan, Sabarkantha, Surendranagar, and Vadodara districts.

The IMD also issued an orange warning for thunderstorms and lightning with gusty winds of 40 to 60 kmph and moderate rain of 5 to 15 mm per hour in several districts of Kerala, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Assam. In Kerala, the orange warning covered Kannur, Kasaragod, Kollam, Kozhikode, Lakshadweep, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, and Wayanad. In Gujarat, the warning was issued for Amreli, Banaskantha, Chhota Udepur, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Dahod, Daman, Dangs, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Diu, Gir Somnath, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Mahisagar, Narmada, Navsari, Panchmahal, Porbandar, Rajkot, Surat, Tapi, and Valsad. Nandurbar in Maharashtra and Cachar, Jorhat, and Lakhimpur in Assam were also placed under the orange warning.

The IMD advised residents in the affected regions to remain alert and take necessary precautions, including avoiding shelter under trees or weak structures, checking road and traffic conditions, avoiding unnecessary travel, and following advisories issued by concerned agencies.

Navsari District Inundated

Meanwhile, Navsari Collector Manish Gurwani, speaking to ANI, said approximately seven inches of rainfall was recorded in the district between 6:00 AM and 8:00 PM. "Approximately 7 inches of rainfall has been recorded in the district between 6:00 AM and 8:00 PM. Specifically, Vansda taluka recorded 13 inches, while Navsari and Khergam recorded 8 inches each. Three major rivers flow through the district: the Purna is flowing at 25.5 feet against a danger level of 23 feet; the Kaveri is at 24 feet against a danger level of 19 feet; and the Ambika is currently flowing at 26 feet against a danger level of 28 feet," Gurwani said.

He added that the district administration has relocated 9,236 people to safe locations. (ANI)

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