Ahmedabad and Central Gujarat Schools Closed as Red Alert Issued for Heavy Rain
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rain, thunderstorms, lightning, and squall across several districts in Gujarat, including Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Anand, and Kheda, prompting authorities to close all schools and colleges on Friday.
Officials announced that educational institutions in Ahmedabad and the central Gujarat districts of Vadodara, Anand, and Kheda will remain shut as a precautionary measure. The IMD warnings also cover Narmada, Chhota Udepur, Bhavnagar, Botad, Bharuch, Valsad, Surat, Tapi, Dang, and Navsari for the same day.
In Surat, district and city administrations have begun evacuating residents from low-lying areas. Municipal Commissioner M Nagarajan, in a video message on Thursday, outlined safety measures being taken by the Surat Municipal Corporation. These include inspecting the stability of hoardings, lowering high-mast street lights, and closing certain roads in anticipation of high-velocity winds.
The Surat municipal commissioner also advised residents to watch out for unstable structures, protect themselves from solar panels, and prune large trees to mitigate risks from the severe weather.
