The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on October 3, 2025, confirmed the formation of Cyclone Shakhti, named by Sri Lanka, over the northeast Arabian Sea.
“At 1800 UTC of 3 Oct, CS Shakhti lay centered about 340 km west of Dwarka. It is likely to move west-southwestwards and intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm around 0000 UTC of 4 Oct. Thereafter, to reach central parts of north & adj central Arabian Sea by 5th October. Thereafter, it will recurve and move east-northeastward from 0000 UTC of 6th October 2025,” the IMD said in a post on the intervening night of October 3 and 4.
In an earlier post, the IMD had noted that Shakhti “lay centered at 1730 hrs IST of today, the 3rd October, 2025 over the same region near latitude 22.0N and longitude 66.4E, about 280 km west of Dwarka, 290 km west-southwest of Naliya, 330 km south-southwest of Karachi (Pakistan) and 320 km west of Porbandar. It is likely to move west-northwestwards initially and then west-southwestwards and intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm around morning of 4th October, 2025. Thereafter, it is likely to continue to move west-southwestwards and reach central parts of north and adjoining central Arabian Sea by 5th October.”
Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the northwest Arabian Sea, adjoining areas of northeast Arabian Sea, central Arabian sea and along and off the Gujarat-north Maharashtra coasts during October 3-6, 2025.
The cyclone is yet another sign of the warming Arabian Sea, which was once less cyclonically active than the Bay of Bengal. Rapid intensification due to warmer sea temperatures has led to cyclones such as Tauktae (2021) and Biparjoy (2023) off India’s west coast in the last five years.