Thane, November 6: Schools and colleges in coastal Palghar district of Maharashtra will remain closed from November 6 to 8 in view of warning of heavy rain due to cyclone 'Maha'. Fishermen in Palghar and neighbouring Thane districts have also been asked not to venture into the sea, officials said.

Palghar district collector Kailas Shinde has ordered closure of schools and colleges for three days, said chief of the district disaster management cell Vivekananda Kadam on Tuesday. Chief secretary of Maharashtra Ajoy Mehta had reviewed the situation in the region on Monday. Cyclone Maha Impact: Thane and Palghar on Yellow Alert for November 6, IMD Predicts Heavy Rainfall in Parts of Maharashtra.

Fishermen from Thane and Palghar districts have been asked not to venture into the sea for the next three-four days, said an official release. The fishermen who are out in the sea have been asked to return or take shelter in nearest ports.

Villages near the coast have been placed on high alert, the release added. According to the Met department, parts of the coastal Konkan, central Maharashtra and Marthawada are likely to receive rains due to severe cyclonic storm Maha which is expected to make landfall on the Gujarat coast on November 7.