Cyclone Nisarga made landfall south of the beach town of Alibag on Wednesday afternoon. (Express Photo: Narendra Vaskar)
Cyclone Nisarga Tracker, Weather forecast Today Live Updates: A depression, the remnant of Cyclone Nisarga, over the western part of Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region is expected to weaken into a well marked low pressure area (WML) in the next 12 hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The depression is moving east-northeastwards at a speed of 23 kmph. It lies about 110 km west-southwest of Akola, 320 km west-southwest of Nagpur and 100 km northeast of Aurangabad.
The weather department has predicted light to moderate rainfall over most places in Vidarbha, while some parts could receive heavy showers.
Cyclone Nisarga, which made landfall near Raigad district on Wednesday afternoon, claimed the lives of two people in separate incidents.
Cyclone Nisarga LIVE: Fishermen tow their boats in Mumbai on Tuesday, following the red alert issued by the IMD for extremely heavy rainfall. (Express Photo: Ganesh Shirsekar)
Rescue personnel relocate their jetski as part of precautions against cyclone on the Arabian Sea coast in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, June 2, 2020. (AP Photo: Rajanish Kakade)
The deep depression over interior Maharashtra has weakened into a depression, the IMD said. It lies over west Vidarbha and is moving east-northeastwards. It is likely to further weaken into a Well Marked Low Pressure Area (WML) by this evening, the weather department said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted light to moderated rainfall at most places, and heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places over north Madhya Maharashtra, Marathawada, Vidarbha and south Madhya Pradesh today. Places over south Konkan and Goa, and south Gujarat, could also witness rainfall.
Mumbai is likely to witness rains or thundershowers towards the evening or night, the IMD said. The minimum temperature is likely to be 25 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature could touch 31 degrees Celsius.
The deep depression, the remnant of Cyclone Nisarga, will further weaken into a depression this morning. It is currently over Madhya Maharashtra, and moving north-eastwards at a speed of 27 kmph. It lies 70 km east of Nashik, 90 km north-northeast of Aurangabad and 180 km northeast of Pune.
Severe cyclonic storm Nisarga spared the country’s financial capital Mumbai, already grappling with the coronavirus crisis, as it skirted further northeast of Alibag after the landfall on Wednesday afternoon.
While there were no major loss to life and property, strong and gusty winds uprooted several trees across the city, mostly in D N Road Fort, Colaba, King Circle, and Mulund, civic officials said. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) received 39 tree-fall complaints from the city, 40 from its eastern suburbs, and 38 from the western. At least nine complaints of wall collapse and 20 short-circuit incidents were also reported. Read more here
The beachtown was prepared for the worst on Wednesday morning – doors were shut, windows bolted, shops shuttered, roads empty and vehicles parked safely.
As cyclone Nisarga, categorised as a severe cyclonic storm, made landfall just south of Alibag in Raigad at 12.30 pm, the winds in excess of 100 kmph uprooted trees, bent power lines, rattled roofs, sent debris flying and showered the streets with coconuts and mangoes. Read more here
Cyclonic conditions on Wednesday prevented several people, even suspected coronavirus patients, to delay hospital visits. Already down on its knees from the raging Covid-19 pandemic — Mumbai on Wednesday reported 1276 new cases taking its total count to 43,492 — the city was witnessed heavy rainfall and gusty winds as Cyclone Nisarga made landfall at Alibag in Raigad district.
Khalid Ansari, a social worker at Nagpada, said several people, even those ill, avoided venturing out to see a doctor due to the rain. “Those who could wait for a day before seeking medical help decided to stay at home,” he said. Read more here
Authorities in Indore and Ujjain divisions in the western part of Madhya Pradesh have been asked to be prepared to deal with the impact of Cyclone 'Nisarga', which is likely to hit the state on Thursday, an IMD official said. The cyclonic storm is likely to enter Khandwa, Khargone and Burhanpur districts in the state between 7 am and 11 am on Thursday, the official said. Rains have already been reported from some places of the state due to the impact of the cyclonic storm, he said. The weather condition is likely to affect Indore and Ujjain divisions for the next two to three days, he said, adding that some places may witness thunderstorms with heavy rains and lightning during this period. Strong winds ranging from 50 to 60 kmph are expected in some areas in the western part of the state, the official said. PTI
Advancing in haste, Cyclone Nisarga intensified swiftly along coastal areas in Maharashtra but also weakened quickly as the day progressed.
On Wednesday morning, when it was still in sea -- about 150 km away from Alibag, its site of landfall -- Nisarga intensified into a Severe Cyclonic Storm (SCS). Soon, its landward advancement picked pace, with winds strengthening and raging anywhere between 110 and 120 km/hour recorded at the time of landfall. Read more here
Incessant rain with intermittent heavy spells, accompanied by strong winds, lashed Pune and surrounding areas on Wednesday, resulting in power outages due to damage to 540 feeder lines across the district, and several instances of tree collapse and waterlogging.
Pune city and surrounding areas started receiving rain from Tuesday evening, with some intermittent spells of heavy showers and strong wind on Wednesday afternoon, as a result of cyclonic activity in the coastal area. Read more here
As severe cyclonic storm Nisarga over east-central Arabian Sea moved north-eastwards, it crossed Maharashtra coast, close to south of Alibaug, and hardly any impact was witnessed in Gujarat on Wednesday.
Apart from light rainfall for about three days, Gujarat is unlikely to see any further activity resulting from the cyclone.
“There will be no impact of Cyclone Nisarga on Gujarat, not even high velocity winds. Only light rainfall is expected in a few districts of South Gujarat and Saurashtra for the coming two-three days,” said Manorama Mohanty, Regional Additional Director of India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) in Ahmedabad.
“The Severe Cyclonic Storm 'Nisarga' over east central Arabian Sea moved north-eastwards with a speed of about 23 kmph, crossed Maharashtra coast close to south of Alibaug with a maximum sustained wind speed of 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph between 12:30 and 14:30 hours... 75 km southeast of Mumbai (Maharashtra) and 65 km west of Pune (Maharashtra). It is very likely to move north-eastwards and weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm during next 06 hours,” the IMD bulletin stated.
The state government had already evacuated nearly 67,000 persons from south Gujarat and Saurashtra districts. It had also stationed 13 teams of the National Disaster Response Force and six teams of the State Disaster Response Force in South Gujarat on June 2, as a precautionary measure.
Advancing in haste, Cyclone Nisarga intensified swiftly along coastal areas in Maharashtra but also weakened quickly as the day progressed.
On Wednesday morning, when it was still in sea -- about 150 km away from Alibag, its site of landfall -- Nisarga intensified into a Severe Cyclonic Storm (SCS). Soon, its landward advancement picked pace, with winds strengthening and raging anywhere between 110 and 120 km/hour recorded at the time of landfall.
The process of landfall, which commenced a little after 12.30 pm, was completed within three hours. The 60-odd km centre of cyclone still had considerable wind speed.
But, after the entire system moved into land from Raigad coast, it began showing signs of weakening and swerved from its originally-designated path. As a result, it gave Thane, Mumbai, Palghar in Maharashtra, Daman, and Valsad and neighbouring districts of South Gujarat a miss.
IMD's cyclone updates, by 4 pm, indicated that the cyclone was headed towards Pune district. Ahmednagar and Nashik were also on alert as the storm was predicted to head towards north Madhya Maharashtra.
In a first, Pune district experienced a cyclone up close on Wednesday, as Cyclone Nisarga reached up to 45 km north-northwest of the district. This happened despite Pune district not even being along the projected path of the cyclone, as forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Nonetheless, Pune was placed under yellow alert as heavy rain and squally winds were forecast.
As the cyclone has advanced beyond Raigad district, the energy department has started restoration of power supply in Ratnagiri, Shrivardhan.
"At present , the power supply in Palghar, Vasai , Mumbai, Navi Mumbai except Uran, where supply has been switched off for safety due to heavy winds, Kalyan, except some parts of Kalyan rural where again supply has been switched off for safety, is normal," the statment said.
The power supply in Murud, Mandgaon, Goregaon, Alibag, Mhasala, Guhagar, Dapoli taluquas it was switched off from EHV stations will be restored as soon as the speed of wind and rains slow down. Power supply in rest of Maharashtra , except few minor local breakdowns, is normal. However, the demand of MSEDCL has dropped considerably from 18000- 19000MW to less than 10000 MW due to closure of industries.
A 17-year-old boy dies in wall-collapse. Amar Jawlekar, a Class X student, was leaving the house with his mother when a wall collapsed. Mother survived but he succumbed to injuries.
Two people died and three others were injured in two cyclone-related incidents in Pune district on Wednesday, said officials.
Cyclone Nisarga is currently centered over Pune after making landfall in coastal Raigad district of Maharashtra around 1 pm.
Manjabai Anant Navale (65), resident of Vahagaon village in Khed tehsil, died as a wall of her house collapsed and tin sheets on the roof were blown away in the wind. "Three other members of Navale family also sustained injuries. They have been shifted to a hospital in Chakan," said a senior district official.
Prakash Mokar (52), a resident of Mokarwadi in Haveli tehsil, also died after the roof of his house was blown away and he was injured while trying to catch the tin sheets, said an officer from the District Disaster Management Cell. (PTI)
Cyclone Nisarga made landfall near Mumbai on Wednesday but appeared to have maintained 'social distancing" from the city reeling under the COVID-19 pandemic, as it uprooted trees in nearby Raigad and Palghar districts.
The cyclonic storm 'Nisarga' over interior Maharashtra moved northeastwards with a speed of 22 kmph during past six hours, weakened into a deep depression and lay centered about 120 km northeast of Alibag, 100 km east of Mumbai and 85 km north of Pune at 7:30 pm.
A 58-year-old man died after an electric pole fell on him in Alibag area of Raigad, Maharashtra, Raigad collector Nidhi Choudhary confirms. The incident took place in Umate village, Alibag taluka.
A cargo aircraft belonging to FedEx overshot the main runway of the Mumbai airport on its arrival from Bengaluru, Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) said in a statement.
The aircraft was towed away from the runway and there has been no disruption in flight operations, it said.
Further, MIAL said that the flight operations at the airport have been suspended between 2.30 pm and 7 pm due to adverse weather. The services have now resumed.
MMRDA response after videos of water logging at a Covid healthcare center at Bandra Kurla Complex surfaced on social media: "After #CycloneNisarg, work restarts for second Covid facility at BKC. Nothing happened to Covid hospital 1 and 2 during Cyclone though as a matter of abundant precaution, patients were shifted.
"We stood the test of Nature. Scenes from the COVID19 Hospital at BKC. We would like to thank @CMOMaharashtra , Shri @OfficeofUT , our Chairman Shri @mieknathshinde ji Min UDD and @AUThackeray for having the faith while entrusting us with such an important project."