Goa, Oct. 5 -- The severe cyclonic storm Shakhti over the northwest and northeast Arabian Sea is unlikely to have a major impact on Goa as it moves west-southwest, away from the Indian coast. The storm, which evolved from a deep depression on Friday, was centred about 470 km west of Dwarka and 420 km southwest of Karachi by Saturday morning, moving at 18 km/h.

According to retired NIO chief scientist and meteorologist M R Ramesh Kumar, "Its impact on Goa will be minimal unless it changes course towards Gujarat or Maharashtra in the coming days."

Shakhti is the latest in a growing number of cyclones in the Arabian Sea, with 25 of the 70 such systems over peninsular India forming here in the past 15 years. Favorable conditions for its for...