The coastal districts of Gujarat would receive isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall as cyclone Nilofar would intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday. Fishermen were warned against venturing into sea by the state government as the western coast of the state braced for Nilofar, brewing in the Arabian Sea on Sunday. IMD predicted that parts of the state may experience rain accompanied by gusting winds. After the IMD forecast that the cyclone might veer from its course towards Oman and hit coastal districts of Saurashtra and Kutch, the fisheries department took a series of precautionary measures. “We have hoisted distant warning signal number 2 at Veraval and Porbandar ports to warn fishermen. We also stopped giving port clearances to fishing trawlers. Due to Diwali festivities, we believe that not many fishermen are at sea. Roughly around 5,000 fishing boats are at sea. We are trying to contact them and ask them to reach the nearest port,” Pravinchandra Malli, Assistant Director of Fisheries for Kutch, Surendranagar and Jamnagar districts, told The Indian Express. The signal indicates the existence of distant disturbed weather and is classified as distant signal. It has been hoisted at Jamnagar port also. Malli said they have warned fishermen not to go on fishing trips during the next 48 hours in view of the storm while districts along the Saurashtra coast were put on alert. Meanwhile, IMD said Nilofar was centered 1,250 kilometres southwest of Naliya in Kutch district. “It would move initially north-northwestwards during the next 48 hours and then recurve northeastwards towards north Gujarat and adjoining Pakistan coast during the subsequent 72 hours. It would intensify into a severe cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours,” the department said in a bulletin. The weathermen further said that heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places would commence along coastal districts of Saurashtra and Kutch from the morning of October 30. Squally wind speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph would commence along and off Gujarat coast from October 30 morning and the sea condition along and off Gujarat coast will be rough to very rough from the same time, the IMD statement said.