Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 5 (NT): The Maharashtra Government on Tuesday affirmed holiday in schools and colleges in Mumbai and neighboring areas as a defensive assess against fast-moving Cylcone Ockhi.

Maharashtra Education Minister Vinod Tawde on his Twitter handles affirms the announcement.

"Precautionary holiday declared on December 5 for schools and colleges in Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Sindhudurga, Thane, Raigad and Palghar districts for the safety of students due to serious weather predictions on Cyclone Ockhi," Vinod tweeted.

As per the reports of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) today Mumbai will witness light to moderate rainfall in the next 2 days.

For now, Mumbai Disaster Management unit of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued guidelines against visiting the beaches today and tomorrow, because the cyclone is likely to knock the coast of Maharashtra within the next 48 hours.

Till date, the cyclone has taken at least 20 lives with hundreds still missing after it fell in Kerala on November 30.

Search and rescue operations in the southeast Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands keep on and the Navy has arranged 10 naval ships and eight aircraft  24X7 service late last night for the continuing rescue operations. (NI)