In Kerala, two people have died after torrential rains and high tidal waves wreaked havoc. Widespread uprooting of trees, waterlogging, disruption of power has been a state-wide phenomenon since Friday night. The situation has forced the state government to shift hundreds of families to relief camps despite the risks associated with the ongoing pandemic.
In terms of preparedness, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has increased the number of teams from 53 to 100. These teams are mobilised for Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra. Out of these, 48 are being pre-deployed while 20 are being kept on standby. An additional 32 teams are being kept as backup.
The Indian Air Force has kept 16 transport aircraft and 18 helicopters on standby. It has also announced to focus on Covid relief operations in the affected coastal areas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the situation yesterday and asked concerning authorities to take every possible measure to ensure that people are safely evacuated.
Mumbai gears up for heavy rain, 580 Covid patients shifted from jumbo units
From shifting 580 patients from its jumbo Covid-19 facilities to contemplating a possible shut down of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in Mumbai on Saturday worked on taking several precautionary measures in view of India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) warning that Cyclone Tauktae is likely to pass close to the city on Sunday.
The BMC on Saturday night shifted 580 patients from BKC (243), Dahisar (183) and Mulund (154) jumbo Covid-19 facilities to state and civic-run hospitals in Mumbai. The civic body had on Friday alerted the hospitals to avoid last-minute confusion over beds and availability of oxygen devices.
Torrential rains, heavy winds destroy houses in coastal areas, hundreds rush to relief camps
From Thiruvananthapuram in the south to Kasaragod in the north, hundreds of families living close to the sea have had to abandon their homes and rush to relief camps set up by the state government in the face of massive sea-incursions. The Met Department had warned of squally winds with speeds of 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph along and off the Kerala-Karnataka coast along with rough sea conditions on Saturday.
Several houses close to the sea in districts like Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Thrissur, Ernakulam and Alappuzha have been partially or completely damaged by the impact of the cyclone.
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.
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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.
The cyclonic storm Tauktae formed over the Arabian Sea, which intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm by Monday morning, caused gusty winds and heavy rains in Mumbai. 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.
Two persons were killed in rain-related incidents here. Thousands of people were evacuated from the coastal region as a precautionary measure. Raigad district is on red alert while Mumbai, Thane and Palghar districts are on orange alert. More details here.
Heavy to very rainfall was recorded between 8.30 am and 1.30 pm in Mumbai today. The rainfall during these five hours stood at: Colaba 157mm, Juhu (airport) -- 150mm and Santacruz -- 102mm. Strong winds with speed upto 90-100 km/hr were recorded across Mumbai and north Konkan. (ENS)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday on the Cyclone Tauktae related situation in the state, news agency PTI reported citing official sources.
PM Modi 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.
Images show the flooded Catholic Gymkhana in Marine drive, which is a quarantine centre.
At 12.15 pm BMC's automated weather station recorded a wind speed of 111 kmph at Colaba. At 2 pm, the wind speed was 114 kmph. The normal wind speed for Mumbai is usually between 10kmph and 15kmph during rainy days and between 25kmph and 30kmph on heavy rain days.
The first cyclone of 2021, Tauktae, has now intensified into an “extremely severe cyclonic storm” and is fast approaching the Maharashtra coast, IMD said on Monday. It now has a wind speed of 180-190 kilometres per hour with winds gusting to 210 kilometres per hour.
Where is it now?
The cyclone Tauktae now lays centred at a distance of 162 km south – southeast from Diu and 145 km west – northwest from Mumbai.
Where is it headed?
Cyclone Tauktae is likely to intensify further in the next 24 hours and reach the Gujarat coast by Monday evening.
Where and when will it make landfall?
As per IMD, the landfall is expected to take place between 8pm and 11pm on Monday and will cross the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva in the Bhavnagar district with a slightly lower wind speed (around 155-165 kmph) than its current intensity (180-190 kmph). More details here.
Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani Monday visited the State Emergency Operation Center in Gandhinagar and held a video review meeting with district collectors.
In response to another SOS received from Barge 'GAL Constructor' with 137 people onboard, INS Kolkata has been dispatched.
A barge with 261 personnel and crew on board catering to the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) has gone adrift off the Mumbai coast.
"This barge was 75 nautical miles southwest off Prongs Lighthouse and hit an unmanned rig after due to inclement weather. There was propulsion failure and water started entering the barge. She is an accommodation barge and used by ONGC and other personnel. When we received a distress call, we alerted some merchant ships to help her, but they could not. Neither the Coast Guard nor Navy could launch a helicopter due to inclement weather," Anand Badola, Coast Guards Inspector General (West) told The Indian Express.
Badola said that he had diverted his ship 'Sankalp' for help, while Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Mehul Karnik said that the western naval command has sent INS Kochi which is expected to reach by 5 pm. INS Talwar is also being readied, he told.
The crew and others are reported to be safe. (Yogesh Naik reports)
As cyclone Tauktae inches closer to the Mumbai coast, the India Meteorological department has upgraded the rainfall warning to “Extremely heavy” in the city for next few hours. Gusty winds will continue and escalate upto 120 kmph.
Mumbai is expected to receive heightened rainfall after 3pm. Latest observations from Mumbai (Colaba) recorded winds raging with speed 102km/hr.
Since Monday morning, Mumbai and several districts in north Konkan, including Palghar, reported heavy rain which has continued since dawn.
Gujarat Chief Minister Rupani said that power breakup arrangements including mandatory gen set along with diesel stock have been arranged in all over 1400 Covid hospitals across the state.
“We have made alternate arrangements at all hospitals in case power supply is affected. As many as 661 electricity department teams who are working around the clock have been deployed. Also, power backups are arranged at 1428 places.
174 ICU on wheels have been put on stand-by, 607 vehicles of 108 ambulance service on stand-by as a part of special care arrangements for Covid patients,” the CM stated, adding that 444 teams of the health department too have been deployed across the state.
Gujarat has evacuated 1.5 lakh persons from 17 districts along its coastal belt in view of the extremely severe cyclonic storm “Tauktae,” likely to reach the state on Monday evening. The cyclonic storm will sustain a maximum wind speed 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani during a press conference Monday stated that maximum people have been evacuated from along the coastal belt Saurashtra and Kutch.
The evacuation operations are on in 655 villages of 17 districts to be affected by the cyclone.These districts are Porbandar, Amreli, Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Botad, Bhavnagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Kutch, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Mori, Valsad, Surat, Vadodara, Bharuch, Navsari, Anand and Ahmedabad.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday took stock of the situation in Mumbai, Thane and other coastal districts of the state in the wake of the cyclonic storm Tauktae. As Mumbai continues to batter with heavy rains, 12,420 citizens have been relocated to safer places from the coastal areas. These include 8,380 people in Raigad, 3,896 in Ratnagiri and 144 in Sindhudurg.
The Chief Minister will also take review in a meeting with the State Disaster Management Authority this afternoon.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Monday said it rescued 12 fishermen stranded around 35 nautical miles off the Kochi coast amid rough seas due to the incoming Cyclone Tauktae on the night of May 16.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Tauktae has turned into an "extremely severe cyclonic storm" and is expected to hit the Gujarat coast by the evening. "Indian fishing boat Jesus stranded 35 nautical miles off Kochi. ICG ship Aryaman rescued the boat with 12 crew. Boat taken under tow by the ICG ship braving rough seas and brought to Kochi on May 16 night. All crew safe and healthy," the ICG said on Twitter. (PTI)
As cyclone rages past the Maharashtra coast and lies 150 km of Mumbai coast, instense rain spell continues in Mumbai with wind speed between 80-90 gusting up to 100 kmph, India Meteorological Department said.
'Extremely Severe Cyclone' Tauktae at 11am lies 150 km of Mumbai coast, moving North north-west towards Gujarat coast, the India Meteorological Department said. It will cross between Porbandar and Mahua as Very Severe Cyclonic storm between 8 and 8:30 pm on Monday.
Even though Mumbai is not under direct threat, the severe cyclonic storm Tauktae is likely to pass close from the Mumbai coast
towards Gujarat. Here's a list of measures taken to tackle the possible after effects-
put on alert. Teams of the Indian Navy are also kept on standby, officials said on Sunday night.
As a precautionary measure for Cyclone Tauktae, the monorail services in Mumbai have been suspended for the day, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said. This was a "prompt decision" taken for the safety of commuters, the MMRDA said.
In view of the high speed winds in Mumbai, the Bandra-Worli sea-link was closed for traffic on Monday and people were asked to take routes, a senior official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.
Local trains services of the Central Railway were disrupted between suburban Ghatkopar and Vikhroli as a tree branch fell on a train heading towards neighbouring Thane, a railway spokesperson said. Efforts were on to restore the train movement on the route, he said.
As cyclone Tauktae rages past the Maharashtra coast and has inched closer to Mumbai as of Monday morning, a red alert has been sounded in Raigarh district and an orange alert has been declared in Mumbai.
Fairly widespread rainfalls with thunderstorms will continue over Andaman and Nicobar islands, northeast parts of the country. South West peninsula and Lakshadweep will experience similar weather conditions till May 24. The Western Himalayan Region will experience scattered rainfall for the next few days.
As cyclone rages past the Maharashtra coast and has inched closer to Mumbai as of Monday morning, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai will suspend its operations from 11 am to 2 pm on May 17.
Gujarat coast will experience gale winds with speeds 70 to 80 km/hr gusting to 90 km/hr on Monday. The maximum wind impact and storm surge will be experienced along coasts of Junagarh, Gir, Somnath, Amreli and Bhavnagar where winds with speed upto 185 km / hr is forecast all through Monday.
Dardra, nagar Haveli, Daman, Valsad, Navsari, Surat, Surendranagar districts too shall come under the influence of the approaching storm with winds of 80 to 90km/hr gusting to 100km/hr likely to prevail till Tuesday.
The cyclone "Tauktae" is most likely to hit the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva in Bhavnagar district on Monday night anytime between 8pm - 11pm as a Very Severe Cyclone (150 - 160 km/hr).
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm “Tauktae' further intensified into an 'Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm' at 5:30 am on Monday, the India Meteorological Department said in its latest bulletin. The Storm lays centred over eastcentral Arabian sea about 160 km West South-west of Mumbai, 290 km South South-east of Veraval ,250 km South South-east of Diu.
With the cyclonic storm Tauktae likely to induce rainfall and windy conditions over the next two days, farmers of Saurashtra, who are in the midst of harvesting their summer crops, say the rainfall could not have come at a worse time.
The cyclone is likely to make a landfall between Porbandar and Bhavnagar coasts on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. Under its influence, Saurashtra is likely to experience rainfall and windy conditions for the next two days. Read More
As Cyclone Tauktae made its way northward along the coast of Karnataka and Maharashtra on Sunday evening, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) scrambled to move patients from Covid Centres to government hospitals in the city.
Until late in the evening, a total 603 Covid-19 patients had been moved out of three jumbo facilities in the city, including 243 from the BKC facility, 184 from the Dahisar facility, and 176 from Mulund.
Some were discharged, the rest were admitted to hospitals run by the state government and the civic body. Read More
At least seven people were killed as Tauktae intensified into a “very severe cyclonic storm” and moved northwards towards Gujarat, leaving behind a trail of destruction – damaging houses, uprooting trees and snapping power lines – in the coastal districts of Kerala, Karnataka and Goa on Sunday.
Authorities in Maharashtra and Gujarat, where the cyclone is expected to make landfall late Monday or early Tuesday, sounded an alert and evacuated thousands from low-lying areas to safer places. Fifty-four teams of the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force have been deployed in Gujarat for relief operations. Read More
The IMD has issued an orange alert for Mumbai warning of very heavy rains at isolated places with strong winds on Monday as the very severe cyclonic storm Tauktae is likely to pass close from the Mumbai coast towards Gujarat.
Three teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) stationed in the western suburbs of Mumbai have been put on alert. Teams of the Indian Navy are also kept on standby, officials said on Sunday night. (PTI)
The IMD has issued an orange alert for Mumbai warning of very heavy rains at isolated places with strong winds on Monday as the very severe cyclonic storm Tauktae is likely to pass close from the Mumbai coast towards Gujarat.
Three teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) stationed in the western suburbs of Mumbai have been put on alert. Teams of the Indian Navy are also kept on standby, officials said on Sunday night. (PTI)
The Indian Coast Guard said on Sunday that all fishing boats reached their harbours in Maharashtra and Gujarat in view of the impending Cyclone Tauktae.
According to the India Meteorological Department, Tauktae has intensified into a 'very severe cyclonic storm' and is very likely to reach the Gujarat coast in the evening hours of Monday and cross it between Porbandar and Mahuva in Bhavnagar district around the early morning of Tuesday.
"Through effective and constant liaison with fisheries department and timely weather alerts to fishermen by the ICG ships and aircraft, all 4,526 fishing boats of Maharashtra and 2,258 boats of Gujarat which were out at sea, have safely returned to harbour," the Coast Guard tweeted. (PTI)
The IMD has said Tauktae is likely to cross Gujarat by May 18 morning. "It is very likely to intensify further during next 24 hours. It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and reach Gujarat coast in the evening hours of 17th & cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar & Mahuva (Bhavnagar district) around 18th May early morning," the weather bureau said in a statement.
Konkan and some districts of Madhya Maharashtra continue to remain on high alert with the approaching Very Severe Cyclone Tauktae. Until late Sunday evening, the cyclone lay close to the Goa and south Maharashtra coasts.
Even though Maharashtra is not in the direct line of the cyclone’s path, its influence was felt across Konkan and some adjoining districts of Madhya Maharashtra, including Pune, on Sunday.
The advancing cyclone Tauktae brought along significant strong wind conditions all across Konkan and parts of Madhya Maharashtra, including Pune district. There were reports of isolated heavy spells from the districts of these meteorological subdivisions and Goa. Read more