Cyclone Nisarga To Weaken By Late Evening, Says IMD; Mumbai Airport Shut Till 7 PM

Already battling a raging pandemic, Mumbai hasn't experienced a serious cyclone landfall since 1891, according to a weather expert.

A municipal employee makes a warning announcement by the shore of the Arabian Sea in Mumbai. A storm in the Arabian Sea off India's west coast intensified into a severe cyclone on Wednesday, gathering speed as it barreled toward India's financial capital of Mumbai. Nisarga was forecast to drop heavy rains and winds gusting up to 120 kilometers per hour when it makes landfall Wednesday afternoon as a category 4 cyclone near the coastal city of Alibagh, about 98 kilometers south of Mumbai, India's Meteorological Department said.

AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool

A man takes a photograph of a woman by the shores of the Arabian Sea in Mumbai. A storm in the Arabian Sea off India's west coast intensified into a severe cyclone on Wednesday, gathering speed as it barreled toward India's financial capital of Nisarga was forecast to drop heavy rains and winds gusting up to 120 kilometers per hour when it makes landfall Wednesday afternoon as a category 4 cyclone near the coastal city of Alibagh, about 98 kilometers south of Mumbai, India's Meteorological Department said.

AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool

A man sit on a bench as it rains by the shores of the Arabian Sea in Mumbai. A storm in the Arabian Sea off India's west coast intensified into a severe cyclone on Wednesday, gathering speed as it barreled toward India's financial capital of Mumbai. Nisarga was forecast to drop heavy rains and winds gusting up to 120 kilometers per hour when it makes landfall Wednesday afternoon as a category 4 cyclone near the coastal city of Alibagh, about 98 kilometers south of Mumbai, India's Meteorological Department said.

AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool

Marine Drive wears a deserted look before cyclone Nisarga makes landfall in Mumbai. A storm in the Arabian Sea off India's west coast intensified into a severe cyclone on Wednesday, gathering speed as it barreled toward India's financial capital of Mumbai. Nisarga was forecast to drop heavy rains and winds gusting up to 120 kilometers per hour when it makes landfall Wednesday afternoon as a category 4 cyclone near the coastal city of Alibagh, about 98 kilometers south of Mumbai, India's Meteorological Department said.

AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade

Girgaon Chowpatty wears a deserted look as Cyclone Nisarga is expected to make landfall, in Mumbai. Cyclone Nisarga, hovering over the Arabian Sea, is likely to make landfall at the coastal town Alibaug near the megapolis between 1 pm and 4 pm today.

PTI Photo/Shashank Parade

A man stands near a shanty built on the edge of the Arabian Sea at Bandra, as the waves turn choppy ahead of Cyclone Nisarga’s expected landfall, in Mumbai. Cyclone Nisarga, hovering over the Arabian Sea, is likely to make landfall at the coastal town Alibaug near the megapolis between 1 pm and 4 pm today.

PTI Photo/Kunal Patil

A woman watches waves splash on shores of the Arabian Sea in Mumbai. A storm in the Arabian Sea off India's west coast intensified into a severe cyclone on Wednesday, gathering speed as it barreled toward India's financial capital of Mumbai. Nisarga was forecast to drop heavy rains and winds gusting up to 120 kilometers per hour when it makes landfall Wednesday afternoon as a category 4 cyclone near the coastal city of Alibagh, about 98 kilometers south of Mumbai, India's Meteorological Department said.

AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool

A fisherman's family seals up their window before cyclone Nisarga makes landfall in Mumbai. A storm in the Arabian Sea off India's west coast intensified into a severe cyclone on Wednesday, gathering speed as it barreled toward India's financial capital of Mumbai. Nisarga was forecast to drop heavy rains and winds gusting up to 120 kilometers per hour when it makes landfall Wednesday afternoon as a category 4 cyclone near the coastal city of Alibagh, about 98 kilometers south of Mumbai, India's Meteorological Department said.

AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade

A dog sits by the door of a house whose residents have been evacuated, by the shores of the Arabian Sea in Mumbai. A storm in the Arabian Sea off India's west coast intensified into a severe cyclone on Wednesday, gathering speed as it barreled toward India's financial capital of Mumbai. Nisarga was forecast to drop heavy rains and winds gusting up to 120 kilometers per hour when it makes landfall Wednesday afternoon as a category 4 cyclone near the coastal city of Alibagh, about 98 kilometers south of Mumbai, India's Meteorological Department said.

Photo/Rafiq Maqbool

Fishermen pull their nets out of the Arabian Sea in Mumbai. A storm in the Arabian Sea off India's west coast intensified into a severe cyclone on Wednesday, gathering speed as it barreled toward India's financial capital of Mumbai. Nisarga was forecast to drop heavy rains and winds gusting up to 120 kilometers per hour when it makes landfall Wednesday afternoon as a category 4 cyclone near the coastal city of Alibagh, about 98 kilometers south of Mumbai, India's Meteorological Department said.

AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade

Police officers patrol a deserted beach before Cyclone Nisarga makes landfall in Mumbai. A storm in the Arabian Sea off India's west coast intensified into a severe cyclone on Wednesday, gathering speed as it barreled toward India's financial capital of Mumbai. Nisarga was forecast to drop heavy rains and winds gusting up to 120 kilometers per hour when it makes landfall Wednesday afternoon as a category 4 cyclone near the coastal city of Alibagh, about 98 kilometers south of Mumbai, India's Meteorological Department said.

AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade

Fishing boats are anchored at a harbour as Cyclone Nisarg makes landfall, at Chapli Sheri beach in Daman. Cyclone Nisarga made landfall near Alibaug on the Maharashtra coast today.

PTI Photo

Around 1500 citizens evacuated in the view of impending Cyclone Nisarga staying in a shelter in Thal, Alibaug, Raigarh, Maharashtra.

PTI Photo

Commuters brave rainfall at Bandra ahead of Cyclone Nisarga’s expected landfall, in Mumbai. Cyclone Nisarga, hovering over the Arabian Sea, is likely to make landfall at the coastal town Alibaug near the megapolis between 1 pm and 4 pm today.

PTI Photo/Kunal Patil

People look on at the sea as they spend their time at a beach off the Arabian Sea before Cyclone Nisarga makes landfall, in Daman. A deep depression over Arabian Sea, which intensified into Cyclone Nisarga on Tuesday noon is expected to make landfall as a severe cyclonic storm in Raigad district today.

PTI Photo

A fisherman folds his casting net at a beach along the shore off the Arabian Sea before Cyclone Nisarga makes landfall, in Daman. A deep depression over Arabian Sea, which intensified into Cyclone Nisarga on Tuesday noon is expected to make landfall as a severe cyclonic storm in Raigad district today.

PTI Photo

A family look for shelter during rainfall ahead of Cyclone Nisarga’s expected landfall, in Navi Mumbai. Cyclone Nisarga, hovering over the Arabian Sea, is likely to make landfall at the coastal town Alibaug near the megapolis between 1 pm and 4 pm today.

PTI Photo

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel along with Mumbai police evacuate people living along Versova beach ahead of Cyclone Nisarga’s expected landfall, in Mumbai. Cyclone Nisarga, hovering over the Arabian Sea, is likely to make landfall at the coastal town Alibaug near the megapolis between 1 pm and 4 pm today.

PTI Photo

In this satellite image taken on 10:30 IST shows Intense Convective cloud along the Konkan Coast due to Cyclone Nisarga.

PTI Photo

National Disaster Response team (NDRF) personnel stand by at Chapli Sheri beach as Cyclone Nisarga moves to make landfall, in Daman. Cyclone Nisarga made landfall near Alibaug on the Maharashtra coast today.

PTI Photo

Fishermen row their boat to move to a safer place after Cyclone Nisarga made landfall, at Uttam in Thane. Nisarga blew in from the Arabian Sea, making landfall at the coastal town Alibaug.

PTI Photo/Mitesh Bhuvad

Fishermen pull a boat as they move to a safer place after Cyclone Nisarga made landfall, at Uttam in Thane. Nisarga blew in from the Arabian Sea, making landfall at the coastal town Alibaug.

PTI Photo/Mitesh Bhuvad

Fishermen pull their boats as they move to a safer place after Cyclone Nisarga made landfall, at Uttam in Thane.

PTI Photo/Mitesh Bhuvad

Fishermen move to a safer place after Cyclone Nisarga made landfall, at Uttam in Thane. Nisarga blew in from the Arabian Sea, making landfall at the coastal town Alibaug.

PTI Photo/Mitesh Bhuvad

Cyclone Nisarga will weaken into a cyclonic storm by late evening, and by tonight it will weaken into a deep depression, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Landfall of the severe Cyclone has already started and will be completed in next three hours.

The IMD said that the center of the Cyclone is very close to Maharashtra coast. The northeast sector of the Eye of the Severe cyclone is entering into the land.

Meanwhile, flight operations at the Mumbai airport will remain shut till 7 pm on Wednesday as a preventive step due to the ongoing landfall Nisarga, Mumbai International Ltd (MIAL) said.

"Considering the strong crosswinds, it has been decided that no arrivals and departures will take place between 2.30 pm and 7 pm," MIAL said in a statement.

The IMD had earlier said that the Cyclone Nisarga would make landfall at the coastal town Alibaug near the megapolis between 1 pm and 4 pm on Wednesday, a senior IMD official said.

Already battling a raging pandemic, Mumbai hasn't experienced a serious cyclone landfall since 1891, according to a weather expert.

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Steeped in colonial history, Alibaug is a quaint little town located about 110 km from Mumbai, and is replete with sandy beaches, clean unpolluted air and plenty of forts and temples. A speedboat from Mumbai to Mandwa jetty near Alibaug takes 20 minutes and is an easy option for those wishing to reduce road travel time.

Cyclone Nisarga comes a week after Cyclone Amphan wreaked havoc in West Bengal.

Hosalikar said Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Palghar will be under the influence of the storm. In Mumbai too, the winds may flow at 100 kmph to 110 kmph, he said.

The IMD said the storm may also gust to 120 kmph and is approaching the coastal belt at a speed of 11 kmph.

It has already predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in the aforesaid coastal districts of the state.

The department has predicted the storm will have an impact on areas in North Maharashtra, Pune, Ahmednagar, where rainfall is expected.

The department has said kuccha houses, trees, electric poles may fall as they may not be able to withstand the speed of the storm.

The state government authorities have already asked people in vulnerable areas to shift to safer places.

Bracing for the impact of what is being billed as the most severe cyclone to hit Mumbai, the Central Railway (CR) rescheduled special trains and many airlines also cancelled their Mumbai operations.

The CR has rescheduled, diverted and regulated some trains on Wednesday, an official said. These include five special trains departing from Mumbai. Three special trains will be either diverted or regulated enroute, he added.

Maharashtra and Gujarat activated their disaster response mechanism, deploying NDRF teams and evacuating people from areas likely to be hit.

As a precautionary measure, the NDRF has evacuated around 1500 people staying in a shelter at Thal near Alibaug, an official said. The teams also evacuated people from Uttan and Mira Bhayandar, he added.

The teams conducted a recce of Palghar and Raigad coast early on Wednesday, the official said.

Maharashtra and Gujarat have opened new fronts to tackle the fallout of the cyclone.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to their chief ministers on Tuesday and assured them all possible help from the Centre.

Nearly 43,000 people living near the coastline in Gujarat's Valsad and Navsari districts have been shifted to safer places as the state prepares to face the approaching cyclonic storm, officials said.

All fishing boats which were out in the sea off Palghar coast have returned, an official said.

As many as 577 fishing boats from Palghar had gone out in the sea and till Monday evening, 564 came back.

Later, help was sought from the Coast Guard, Navy and the fisheries department and the remaining 13 boats also returned to the shore late Tuesday evening, Palghar district disaster control chief Vivekanand Kadam said.

Ten teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in parts of Maharashtra for rescue operations in view of the cyclonic storm, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said.

An alert has been issued for Mumbai city and suburbs, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts.

Town planning authority MMRDA said nearly 150 patients at its COVID facility in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai were shifted as a precaution ahead of the cyclone.

The Navy has has kept five flood teams and three diving teams on stand-by in Mumbai, the official said.

These teams, trained and equipped for rescue operations, are stationed at various naval areas across Mumbai and can provide early response over a larger area, he said.

"We have evacuated more than 3,500 people from koliwadas (fishermen colonies) and temporary houses to safer structures like schools, community halls and government buildings," superintendent of police Raigad, Anil Paraskar said.

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