Gandhinagar, May 17 (IANS): With Cyclone Tauktae likely to hit Gujarat in about an hour, the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad shut all its operations for nine hours from 7.30 p.m. on Monday to 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Cyclone Tauktae, gathering momentum and approaching Gujarat, is right now about to touch and is only 70-80 kilometres away from the southern most tip of Saurashtra peninsula, Diu. Within an hour it is likely to hit the state.

Looking at the possible damage that is feared due to the cyclone, the authorities at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport decided to shut down its functioning from 7.30 p.m.

The decision was communicated through the official Twitter handle of the airport.

"AhmedabadAirport is fully prepared for #CycloneTauktae, and as a precautionary measure our operations will remain suspended from 19:30 hrs, 17th May to 05:00 hrs 18th May 2021. We'll keep you updated for further developments."

Surat international airport and other domestic airports in Gujarat have also suspended their operations for the time being.

So far, there have been no reports of casualties or damage to property.