Cyclone Ockhi LIVE updates: Holiday for Mumbai schools, colleges; Storm weakens before making landfall in Gujarat

After wreaking havoc in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Lakshadweep, cyclonic storm Ockhi, which has already left over 20 dead in India and Sri Lanka, has now moved towards the Konkan coastal region in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Mumbai, which is infamous for coming to a standstill when hit by heavy rains, has once again been hit.

Here are the LIVE updates:

1:30 PM IST: Gujarat is gearing up as the weakening Cyclone Ockhi heads for the state.

12:55 PM IST: The Skymet weather bereau has said that a few parts of Gujarat are already witnessing light rainfall.

12:30 PM IST: The cyclone which is currentlty over East-Central Arabian Sea and has weakened.

11:55 AM IST: Mumbai University students too have expressed dissatisfaction that the exams are not being postponed despite the rains.

11:35 AM IST: Many Mumbai offices have not given a leave to its employees and they do not seem to be happy about it.

11:30 AM IST: According to another forecast by Skymet, the cyclonic storm will make a landfall in Gujarat at around 5:30 AM on December 6, Wednesday.

11:22 AM IST: A few areas in Gujarat will also experience squally winds and rough sea conditions.

11:17 AM IST: According to latest foreacst by Skymet weather bereau, there will be moderate rain and thundershowers with strong winds in Maharashtra. Rough sea over Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman, Ahmednagar, Dhule, Jalgaon in the next 36- 48 hours.

11:00 AM IST: Latest reports have claimed that there's been an increase in traffic jams on the Eastern and Western Express Highways in Mumbai due to the rain.

10:50 AM IST: As rains continue to last Mumbai, Shashi Kapoor's body is being taken for last rites.

10:35 AM IST: BJP president Amit Shah's public rallies in Rajula, Mahuva and Shihor in Gujarat cancelled due to Cyclone Ockhi.

10:25 AM IST: Fortunately, train and flight services have not been affected by the rains.

According to a CNN-News18, an Indian Railways official said that though trains on the central line are running 10 minutes late, the frequency of local trains in Mumbai has not been hindered.

10:10 AM IST: According to a PTI report, the Western Railway (WR) has taken necessary precautions and made suitable arrangements in view of the warning about Cyclone Ockhi in coastal areas of Maharashtra like the engineering department keeping a vigil on water level on the railway tracks.

10:00 AM IST: As rescue operations continue in parts of southern India affected by the cyclone, the Indian Navy is sending relief materials like food and medicinal aid to Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands.

9:50 AM IST: Meanwhile, a video of the Bandra Worli link has been doing the rounds, Though the authenticity of the video is doubted, the video wherein the sea in battering the pillars of the bridge may be true as the IMD had said that the sea will be very rough until December 6 morning.

9:45 AM IST:  The IMD had already said that wind velocity would remain between 50 kmph to 70 kmph when the cyclone would make landfall.

9:30 AM IST: Keeping in mind, the havoc caused by Cyclone Ockhi in South India, Gujarat has already taken precautionary measures. According to News 18, two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams each have been deployed at Surat, Navsari, and Rajkot while the Army, Navy, and the Border Security Force (BSF) are on stand-by in case of an emergency.

9:20 AM IST: The IMD has also warned that from December 4 night to December 6 morning, the seas would be rough to very rough along and off north Maharashtra and South Gujarat coasts

9:15 AM IST: According to Skymet, another weather forecast website, Mumbai had received heavy rainfall in December 2014.

9:05 AM IST: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had said that Maharashtra will experience light to moderate rainfall at most places but with isolated heavy rainfall is likely over north Konkan on Tuesday.

9:00 AM IST: According to an ANI report, the Central Railway Mumbai Division has deployed more than 250 railway police force personnel and Maharashtra State Security Force personnel on crowd management and other related activities at stations and yards.

8:30 AM IST: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami has said that at least 2,604 fishermen, including 220 from Kanyakumari district, who were stranded at sea due to Cyclonic storm have been rescued.

8:15 AM IST: The cyclone has already brought heavy downpour to major areas in South India as a result of which hundreds of fishermen and several boats went missing.

8:00 AM IST: As a few areas in Mumbai were inundated, the Maharashtra government declared a holiday in schools and colleges of the city and other adjoining districts.

7:30 AM IST: The rains had started in Mumbai on Monday afternoon.