Six persons died in Maharashtra’s Konkan region in separate cases caused due to the “extremely severe” cyclonic storm Tauktae. Two of these deaths were reported from Raigad district, one sailor died in Sindhudurg district, and one death each occurred in Navi Mumbai and Ulhasnagar in Thane district.
Tauktae moved closer to the Gujarat coast on Monday night. The landfall process began around 8.30 pm and is expected to go on for two more hours, according to the IMD.
Meanwhile, heavy rain and strong winds hit Mumbai. The city’s airport was shut till 10 pm and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link was also closed.
In Maharashtra, more than 12,000 people were relocated from coastal areas to safer places. Thane and Palghar districts were put on orange alert, while a red alert was sounded for Raigad. As many as 1.5 lakh people from 17 districts were evacuated ahead of the cyclone’s landfall.
The National Disaster Response Force has deployed 101 teams. The Indian Navy was involved in multiple rescue missions, including emergency calls from two barges off the western coast. The two separate barges included a total of 410 passengers.
Read the top updates of the day here:
8.45 pm: The cyclone approaches the Gujarat coast, says IMD. It adds that the landfall process has begun and will go on for the next two hours.
8.30 pm: The Indian Army says it has put 180 teams and nine engineer task forces on standby, the Hindustan Times reports. “Sector commanders and Divisional HQ are in touch with District Collectors and the Revenue Commissioner who is the nodal agency for relief activities in Gujarat,” the Army says.
8.15 pm: The Mumbai airport will be closed till 10 pm.
7.45 pm: Videos show terrifying scenes from Mumbai of giant waves lashing buildings. Watch them here. Winds as high as 114 kmph blew in Mumbai, according to reports.
7 pm: Six persons have died in Maharashtra’s Konkan region in separate cases caused due to the severe cyclonic storm “Tauktae”, reports PTI. Three sailors are also missing after two boats sank in the sea, officials say.
Two of the deaths have been reported from Raigad district, one sailor has died in Sindhudurg district, and one death each has occurred in Navi Mumbai and Ulhasnagar in Thane district.
6.53 pm: The Mumbai international airport has suspended its operations till 8 pm.
6.51 pm: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa says late on Sunday night and early on Monday a nine-member crew of a tugboat stranded in the sea close to Udupi district has been rescued, reports ANI.
6.46 pm: The Indian Navy has also sent a search and rescue assistance team for a barge adrift off Heera Oil Fields in Bombay High area with 273 on board.
“INS Kochi [the Indian Navy rescue vessel] is likely to reach the area around 1600 hrs today and commence rescue ops,” a tweet read. “INS Talwar departing shortly to join the SAR [search and rescue] effort. Several other ships have been readied for HADR tasking in wake of cyclone Tauktae that has wreaked havoc along West Coast of India.”
6.44 pm: The Directorate of Public Relations of the Ministry of Defence says that it has sent a ship to assist to 137 onboard a vessel off the Mumbai coast.
6.39 pm: Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray has visited the Disaster Management room of the Mumbai civic body to review the current situation caused due to cyclone Tauktae.
For any emergencies, the minister has released the number – 1916.
6.36 pm: The cyclonic storm is likely to move north-northwestwards and cross the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva areas of the state with “maximum sustained wind speed of 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph”, the India Meterological Department says.
6.34 pm: The “extremely severe cyclonic storm” Tauktae lies centred as of 4.30 pm over eastcentral and adjoining northeast Arabian Sea, the weather department’s evening bulletin says.
6.31 pm: The Railways is also taking all measures to tackle the cyclone Tauktae. “Special intensive patrolling of vulnerable sections as done in Monsoon Season is being carried out,” a statement says. “Temporary cancellation or pre termination of certain long distance and short distance passenger trains keeping in view the evolving weather conditions.”
6.29 pm: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has held a meeting to review the preparedness and aid provided by the armed forces to civil authorities to tackle the situation ahead of the cyclonic storm’s landfall.
5.02 pm: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani says he had a detailed telephonic discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the cyclone Tauktae. “Briefed him about the situation and measures taken by the state government,” he tweets. “Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modiji assured for all the possible help and assistance from the central government.”
5.01 pm: The NDRF has been engaged in evacuation efforts in Gujarat’s Kutch district.
5 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has contacted chief ministers of Gujarat and Goa and the lieutenant governor of Daman and Diu to discuss preparation and response to cyclone Tauktae, reports ANI.
4.59 pm: “Farmers in some parts of Konkan have suffered losses due to the situation. Spot inspections of the same have begun,” Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik says, reports PTI.
4.47 pm: Mumbai has received heavy to very heavy rainfall in the last five hours, reports The Indian Express. Colaba has received 157mm rainfall so far, 150 mm has been recorded at Juhu Airport and 102 mm in Santacruz.
4.43 pm: Police officers in Mumbai have been asked to remain on high alert, with flood-related life-saving equipment being kept ready in view of rains and high-speed winds as cyclone Tauktae moves towards the coast of Gujarat, reports PTI.
4.41 pm: The Mumbai international airport says it will shut operations till 6 pm tonight as a precautionary measure.
4.34 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks to Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray on Cyclone Tauktae, reports PTI, citing official government sources.
4.33 pm: Social media users share visuals of heavy rain lashing Mumbai.
4.27 pm: At 2.30 pm, the cyclone lies about 165 km west-northwest of Mumbai (Maharashtra), and 130 km south-southeast of Diu, the weather department says. The cyclonic storm is set to cross the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva, east of Diu tonight between 8 pm and 8.30 pm.
4.25 pm: Two people have died in Maharashtra’s Konkan region in separate incidents caused due to the severe cyclonic storm Tauktae, reports News18.
3.45 pm: A barge with 273 on board goes adrift off the Heera Oil Fields in the Bombay High area, PTI reports. The Indian Navy warship INS Kochi is sent for help.
3.40 pm: The India Meteorological Department upgrades its weather warning for Mumbai to “extremely heavy rainfall” over the next few hours, ANI reports.
3.37 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi directs officials to ensure that the supply of medical oxygen from Gujarat’s Jamnagar area is not disrupted because of the cyclone, NDTV reports. A Reliance Industries refinery, which is presently the largest single-location supplier of medical oxygen, is situated in Jamnagar.
3.33 pm: Patients being treated at Covid and other facilities in Maharashtra’s coastal areas have been relocated, NDTV reports, citing Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s office.
The government adds that it will ensure power and oxygen supply for hospitals.
3.30 pm: Due to the high speed winds, the Bandra-Worli sea-link in Mumbai was also shut for traffic and commuters were asked to take alternate routes.
Five temporary shelters were set up in 24 civic wards of Mumbai for evacuation of residents if required, reports PTI. Three teams of the National Disaster Response Force, deployed in the western suburbs of the city, were asked to remain alert. The Indian Navy personnel were also kept on standby, officials said.
3.20 pm: Heavy rainfall and strong winds hit Mumbai. The city’s airport is closed till 4 pm, ANI reports.
The Mumbai international airport initially announced that it was shutting operations as a precautionary measure between 11 am and 2 pm on Monday.
3.18 pm: In Maharashtra, till noon, more than 12,000 people were relocated from coastal areas to safer places. Thane and Palghar districts were put on orange alert, while a red alert was sounded for Raigad.
3.15 pm: Nearly 25,000 residents were evacuated from the low-lying areas between Porbandar and Mahuva in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district ahead of the cyclone’s landfall, reports PTI, citing the state Additional Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar.
As many as 54 teams of the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Fund remained deployed in Gujarat.
3 pm: Gujarat evacuates 1.5 lakh people from 17 districts, The Indian Express reports. The cyclone is expected to hit Gujarat in the evening.
Here’s what has happened so far
- Cyclonic storm Tauktae, which was categorised as “extremely severe”, moved north-northwestwards and was centred on Monday morning over the Arabian Sea near the coasts of Mumbai and Gujarat, the India Meteorological Department said.
- The weather department predicted that the cyclonic storm was going to lose momentum and downgrade first into a “very severe cyclonic storm” on Monday night and then into a “severe cyclonic storm” early on Tuesday. The storm was expected to turn into a depression by Wednesday morning.
- Tidal waves may flood some parts along the Gujarat coastline, the weather department said. A complete suspension of fishing activities was advised along the coasts of Gujarat, Daman, Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli till Tuesday afternoon.
- The cyclone is expected to cause damage in Diu, Amreli Junagarh, Gir Somnath Botad & Bhavnagar and coastal areas of Ahmedabad in Gujarat. The IMD said damage may be expected over Devbhoomi Dwarka, Porbandar, Kutch, Jamnagar, Rajkot and Morbi, Valsad, Surat, Vadodara, Bharuch, Navsari, Anand, Kheda and interior parts of Ahmedabad districts of Gujarat, Daman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
In Maharashtra
- The condition of the sea along the Maharashtra coast was also going to be “high to very high” during the next 12 hours from Monday morning, the weather department said, adding that it will improve after that.
- An orange alert, which indicates that authorities should be prepared to take action, was issued for Mumbai. Strong winds and rains lashed parts of Mumbai and its neighbouring areas from Sunday night and on Monday morning.
- On Sunday, heavy rains had battered Kerala and parts of Maharashtra, while trees were uprooted and power lines were snapped in Goa. Videos and photos on social media show parts of these states affected by the rain and storm.
- Due to the cyclonic storm, Mumbai and Gujarat paused Covid-19 vaccinations till Tuesday.