Cyclone Tauktae which caused hravy rains, storms in Mumbai and claimed the lives of at least six persons in separate incidents across the Konkan coast, has reached the coast of Gujarat.
“The ESCS (extremely severe cyclonic storm) TAUKTAE lies close to Gujarat coast. The landfall process started and will continue during next 02 hours,” the India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated at 08:34 pm.
The cyclone, which intensified into an ‘extremely severe cyclonic storm’ this morning, caused strong winds and heavy rainfall in and around the Maharashtra capital before shifting towards Gujarat.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) stated that wind velocity of 114 kilometers per hour was recorded in the afternoon at around 2 pm at the weather station based at Afghan Church in south Mumbai’s Colaba area.
While pursuing its trajectory, the cyclone’s position was located as 70 kms south-southeast of Die as per the latest bulletin issued by IMD at 7:30 pm.
The IMD bulletin also informed that the cyclone continues to maintain the wind speed of 170-180 kilometres per hour (kmph) gusting to 195 kmph.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray earlier in the day on the Cyclone Tauktae related situation in the state, news agency PTI reported citing official sources.
On may 15, PM Modi reviewed the preparedness to deal with the cyclone’s fallout in a high-level meeting with representatives from various ministries and agencies like National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
