Fishermen try to move a fishing boat to a safer ground on the Arabian Sea coast in Mumbai. (AP)Cyclone Tauktae Highlights: The landfall process of cyclonic storm ‘Tauktae’ finished late on Monday night in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The extremely severe cyclonic storm has weakened to a very severe cyclonic storm.
Nearly 2 lakh persons had been evacuated in Gujarat till Monday afternoon. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani stated that most people have been evacuated from along the coastal belt Saurashtra and Kutch.
Earlier today, six people were killed 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, news agency PTI reported citing an official statement. Before heading towards the Gujarat coast, the cyclonic storm caused gusty winds and heavy showers across Mumbai city and its neighbouring areas. The wind speed of 114 kmph was recorded around 2 pm at the weather station based at Afghan Church in south Mumbai’s Colaba area, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a release.
Meanwhile, 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. The prime minister had on Saturday reviewed the preparedness to deal with the cyclone’s fallout in a high-level meeting which was attended by several ministries and agencies concerned.
Huge wave turbulence due to the cyclone in the Arabian, at a seashore in Kanyakumari, Saturday, May 15, 2021. (PTI Photo)
The landfall process of cyclonic storm 'Tauktae' finished late on Monday night in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. According to the IMD, the extremely severe cyclonic storm has weakened to a very severe cyclonic storm. The landfall of a storm is said to be complete when its eye moves overland.
Parts of Goa struggled without electricity on Monday after over 700 electric poles collapsed and 200-300 transformers were damaged as cyclone Tauktae passed over its coast on Sunday. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said it would take at least another day to restore electricity in all locations.
While main roads in the state capital were cleared of fallen trees and branches on Monday, trees still lay flattened by the roadside in many parts of the city. Highways had been cleared on priority to ensure connectivity, Sawant said. He added that the power outage had not affected major health facilities, including the Goa Medical College and Hospital and its newly opened Super Speciality Block where most of Goa’s Covid-19 patients are being treated. ENS
THE Indian Air Force (IAF) and Navy have mobilised their assets for various emergency response measures in view of Cyclone Tauktae, which is moving along the western coast of India.
The IAF has deployed its various transport assets for airlift of rescue teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the cargo required for its rescue missions. The IAF had on Sunday deployed two C-130J and one An-32 transport aircraft for airlift of 167 personnel and 16.5 tonne of rescue equipment of the NDRF from Kolkata to Ahmedabad, the Ministry of Defence has said. Read more
A total of 60 persons were rescued from a vessel at sea, Barge P305, by 11 pm on May 17. While 42 people were rescued by INS Kochi, 18 were by offshore support vessel Energy Star. Search and Rescue (SAR) operations will continue through the night for the remaining crew.
In a separate effort, INS Kolkata has rescued two survivors from the life raft of vessel Vara Prabha; and has now joined INS Kochi for the SAR of Barge P305 crew.
'Gal Constructor', a barge with 137 persons onboard, has been adrift off Colaba Point due to engine trouble. The vessel has been approached by an Emergency Towing Vessel 'Water Lily' for rendering assistance. ENS
Vehicular traffic has dropped due to very low visibility and uprooted trees falling on highways in the cyclone-hit areas of Gujarat. Mobile networks are down.
Wind speeds:
Una - 114 kmph
Kodinar - 130 kmph
Veraval - 75 kmph
Sea swell - more than 3 metres with no rainfall. ENS
A widespread power outage is being reported from Rajula and Jafrabad taluka of Amreli district and Kodinar and Una in neighbouring Gir Somnath district. Shweta Teotia, Managing Director of Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited, says that power supply has been disrupted in coastal districts of Saurashtra due to high-velocity winds and rain.
Vehicular traffic has also come to a halt due to very low visibility and uprooted trees falling on highways. (Inputs from Gopal Kateshiya)
The Gujarat government has evacuated more than 2 lakh persons from 18 districts along the coastal belt in view of extremely severe cyclonic storm Tauktae.
The cyclone is expected to cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva of Bhavnagar district between 8 pm and 11.30 pm Monday with a maximum sustained wind speed of 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph.
Most of the coastal areas of Gujarat started witnessing heavy rainfall and high-velocity winds Monday. More details here.
The Extremely Severe Cyclone Tauktae made landfall a little after 8 pm on Monday. The outermost wall of the cyclone was passing over Saurashtra. The process will continue for the next four hours, officials of the India Meteorological Department said. More details here.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Monday said that the landfall process of the extremely severe cyclonic storm 'Tauktae' has started along the Gujarat coast. The outermost wall of the cyclone is passing over the Saurashtra region.
Landfall of a cyclone happens when the outermost wall of the cyclone begins to move onto land. This process can take several hours to complete, depending on the size of the storm and the speed at which it advances once it hits land.
Since landfall is associated with gale winds, storm surge and heavy rainfall, the maximum damage over the location occur during these hours. The most crucial time of the landfall is when the eye of the cyclone, which is the central most part of the storm, crosses over the land.
Winds blew at over 100 kmph in Mumbai on Monday afternoon as the extremely severe cyclonic storm Tauktae was passing close to the Mumbai coast barrelling towards Gujarat.
Thane police and Fire Brigade officials on Monday successfully rescued a 45-year-old man who was trapped in his car after a tree fell on it.
'Extremely Severe' cyclone Tauktae is currently 70 km south-southeast of Diu as per the latest bulleting by IMD. The cyclone continues to maintain the wind speed of 170-180km/hr gusting to 200 km/hr. The storm is most likely to hit the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva in Bhavnagar district tonight between 8 pm – 11 pm.
At the time of landfall, the wind speed is likely to remain between 155-165 kmph. IMD has also warned of an increase in rainfall intensity over south Gujarat districts which will continue all through the night.
Six persons were killed in Maharashtra's Konkan region in separate incidents related to the severe cyclonic storm 'Tauktae' while three sailors remained missing after two boats sank in the sea, news agency PTI reported citing an official statement.
Of the six, three persons died in Raigad district, a sailor in Sindhudurg district while two persons were killed in Navi Mumbai and Ulhasnagar after trees fell on them, in Thane district, officials said.
Two boats anchored at the Anandwadi harbour in Sindhudurg district capsized, an official statement said, adding seven sailors were on board the two vessels.
Of them, a sailor, identified as Rajaram Kadam hailing from Devgad taluka in the district, died in the incident, while three others went missing. The other three sailors are safe, the statement said.
Operations of at least 21 ports in Gujarat, including the major port of Kandla and private port of Mundra, were completely suspended on Monday in the wake of the approaching cyclone, Tauktae.
While five of the ports on the path of the cyclone hoisted signal number 10, indicating “great danger”, as many as 28 vessels berthed at the ports were asked to leave.
All activities were suspended at ports that had warning signals of 8, 9 and 10. More details here.
Cyclonic storm Tauktae, which further intensified into an “extremely severe cyclonic storm” on Monday morning, currently lays 90 km southeast of Diu and is most likely to hit the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva in Bhavnagar district tonight between 8 pm – 11 pm.
The southern part of the Gujarat coast has started to experience the fast approaching 'Extreme Severe' cyclone Tauktae. Wind speeds along the coast picked up during the last one hour.
The latest update issued by IMD said that Bhavnagar and Porbandar, where landfall is expected to commence in less than three hours from now, reported wind speeds between 30-40 km/ hr. Dwarka (22 km/hr) and Diu (37kms/hr) too have been reporting rough sea conditions since the afternoon of Monday.
People move a fishing boat to a safer place along the shore ahead of Cyclone Tauktae in Veraval in Gujarat. (Reuters)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani regarding preparation and response to deal with Cylone Tauktae.
"Had a detailed telephonic discussion with Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi about Cyclone Tauktae. Briefed him about the situation and measures taken by the state government," Rupani tweeted. He also said that PM Modi assured for all the possible help and assistance from Centre.
The closure of flight operations at Mumbai airport has been extended up to 8 pm. Earlier today, three Mumbai-bound flights operated by IndiGo and SpiceJet were diverted. The IndiGo flight was diverted to Hyderabad, while a SpiceJet flight was diverted to Surat. Another IndiGo flight was sent back to Lucknow.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant over phone on Monday to enquire about damage caused in the state by cyclone Tauktae. Two persons had died on Sunday in separate incidents caused due to gusty winds triggered by cyclone Tauktae, which also damaged around 100 houses and blocked some highways due to the falling of trees, the CM had earlier said.
Strong winds with speed up to 90-100 km/hr were recorded across Mumbai and north Konkan.