Cyclone Tauktae, the most severe to hit Gujarat in two decades, made a landfall along the state coast on Monday a little after 8 PM. The landfall process of extremely severe Cyclone Tauktae will continue for three hours, India Meteorological Department said.
“The forward sector of eye in entering into the land. The centre of the cyclone will cross Saurashtra coast to the east of Diu within next three hours. The outer cloud band lies over Saurashtra, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD),” the weather officials added.
The storm, currently lay centred at 60 km south-southeast of Diu, is expected to cross the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva (Bhavnagar) during the night packing winds of up to 165 KMPH. The authorities have moved over 200,000 people in Gujarat from their homes to safety and shut ports and major airports as the cyclone Tauktae roared up the west coast.
Earlier, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray took stock of the damage caused by cyclonic storm Tauktae in Mumbai and other districts in Konkan and directed state officials to remain alert in view of the rainfall and gusty winds in the coastal region, where six persons died. The authorities are on alert in Gujarat, along with the Union Territory of Daman and Diu, to minimise the casualties.
The cyclone roared through the coastal states of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra, dumping heavy rain and leaving a trail of destruction that left at least 12 people dead. According to news agency PTI, at least six people died in Maharashtra’s Konkan region in separate incidents related to the severe cyclonic storm while three sailors remained missing after two boats sank in the sea.
Currently, several parts of Mumbai and neighbouring areas are witnessing heavy downpour coupled with strong winds. “The IMD has upgraded the warning to extremely heavy rainfall in Mumbai for next few hours,”
Meahwile, the closure of Mumbai airport has been extended till 10 pm. “The airport has so far witnessed 7 diversions. In the wake of the alert, a few airlines have decided to cancel services to Mumbai. CSMIA has registered the cancellations of 34 arrivals and 22 departures. Passengers are adviced to connect with their respective airlines before leaving their homes,” the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
High-speed winds uprooted many trees and electricity poles, partially damaged two buildings besides many houses and in Thane and Palghar districts neighbouring Mumbai on Monday.
Also Read: Cyclone Tauktae: Mumbai Airport shuts operation for 3 hrs, Bandra-Worli link closed
This Sunday, May 16, 2021, satellite image released NASA shows a cyclone approaching western India. A severe cyclone is roaring in the Arabian Sea off southwestern India with winds of up to 140 kph (87 mph), already causing heavy rains and flooding that have killed multiple people, officials said Sunday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to the chief ministers of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa besides the lieutenant governor of Daman and Diu regarding preparation and response to deal with cyclone Tauktae.
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