Tauktae was downgraded to a “cyclonic storm” after it made landfall in Gujarat, the India Meteorological Department said on Tuesday. The weather department predicted that it will gradually become a “deep depression” in the next six hours.
The cyclone made landfall around 8.30 pm on Monday, triggering power outages and uprooting trees and electric poles.
The Indian Navy, which has been conducting multiple search operations, said that one of the barges that sent out an emergency rescue call has sunk. The vessel, identified as P305, had 273 people on board, of which 146 were rescued till Tuesday morning. As many as 81 were still missing and the Navy authorities are actively involved in a search and rescue operation.
The India Meteorological Department predicted “light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places over the Gujarat region and Saurashtra on Tuesday”.
In the aftermath of the cyclone, at least 24 people died as several states across the western coast of India reeled under the impact of cyclone Tauktae. Twelve people died in Maharashtra, while eight died in Karnataka, four deaths occurred in Gujarat.
Read the top updates of the day here:
9.15 pm: The cyclonic storm lies about 35 kilometres west of Ahmedabad in Gujarat. It is likely to weaken into a deep depression by midnight, says India Meteorological Department.
6.31 pm: As many as 81 passengers are still missing after a vessel P305 sunk in the Arabian Sea due to the cyclone, reports Reuters.
6.24 pm: The cyclonic storm is now around 50 km west-southwest of Ahmedabad in Gujarat and 60 km east-northeast of Surendranagar district.
6.17 pm: The India Meteorological Department predicts that the cyclonic storm would now weaken into a deep depression in the next six hours.
4.19 pm: Two stranded employees of Light House Authority from Vengrula, have been rescued after the lighthouse had power failure and was damaged due to Cyclone Tauktae, reports ANI.
4.17 pm: The water levels of the Shetrunji river at Lowara area in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district is rising, tweets the Central Water Commission Official Flood forecast.
4.15 pm: “Covid or no Covid our main aim is to rescue people from the sea,” the deputy chief of naval staff tells ANI. “We have been fortunate that all our crews have received two shots of the Covid-19 vaccine.”
4.13 pm: Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Murlidhar Sadashiv Pawar says rescue efforts to save missing passengers of barge P305 that sank in the Arabian Sea is “one of the most challenging search and rescue ops” that he has seen in the last four decades, reports ANI.
4.06 pm: The weather department predicts that Tauktae will gradually become a “deep depression” by Tuesday evening around 5.30 pm.
4.03 pm: The weather department has downgraded Tauktae to a “cyclonic storm”. In its afternoon bulletin, the agency says that the cyclonic storm has “weakened slightly” and crossed Saurashtra coast close to about 20 km northeast of Diu.
4.02 pm: The NDRF is engaged in relief efforts in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district.
3.59 pm: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has monitored the situation from the State Emergency Operations Centre during the last 24 hours as cyclone Tauktae was moving fast towards the state, reports PTI, citing a government statement.
2.18 pm: Cyclone Tauktae weakens to a “cyclonic storm” from “severe cyclonic storm”, says India Meteorological Department.
2.15 pm: Ahmedabad meteorological centre forecasts heavy to very heavy rain in Amreli, Bhavnagar, Rajkot and Surendranagar towns, reports ANI.
2.09 pm: The Bandra-Worli sea link in Mumbai has been reopened for commute, says the city’s civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
2.08 pm: Union Home Minister Amit Shah speaks to chief ministers of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan to take stock of the situation after the landfall of Cyclone Tauktae, PTI reports. The home minister assured support of the central government.
1.27 pm: Out of the 273 on board the barge P305 adrift off the west coast in Mumbai, 146 have been rescued as of Tuesday morning, reports The Indian Express.
1.17 pm: The India Meteorological Department has predicted “light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places over the Gujarat region and Saurashtra on Tuesday”.
1.12 pm: In its Tuesday afternoon bulletin, the weather department has predicted that the cyclonic storm will now move north-northwestwards and weaken gradually into a “deep depression during the next six hours”.
12.50 pm: As of 11.12 am, the Indian Navy said 177 personnel have been rescued. “First batch of 03 Rescuees brought in by Indian Navy Helo,” the tweet says.
12.40 pm: The Indian Navy confirms that the barge P305 has sunk. “146 personnel rescued so far from barge P305 which is sunk on site,” the Indian Navy spokesperson tweets. “Aerial search commenced at first light with Indian Navy P8I on task. Navy Helos standing by await improving of extreme weather conditions.”
12.30 pm: The Indian Navy, in a 6.38 am update, has said that the search and rescue efforts for the barg P305 continued through the night. An offshore support team has also joined the efforts.
12 pm: Around 127 people are missing after a vessel adrift off Mumbai’s coast sank amid Cyclone Tauktae, the Indian navy has said, reports AFP.
Here are the updates from Monday:
- Cyclone Tauktae made landfall in Gujarat around 8.30 pm on Monday. The storm, categorised as “extremely severe” ahead of landfall caused power outages and uprooted trees and electric poles.
- At least 24 people died as several states across the western coast of India reeled under the impact of cyclone Tauktae. Twelve people died in Maharashtra, while eight died in Karnataka, four deaths occurred in Gujarat.
- Heavy rains, high tidal waves and strong winds lashed Mumbai. The city witnessed a record-high wind speed of 114 km per hour.
- Commercial flight operations were impacted as several flights flying in and out of Mumbai were cancelled, diverted, and returned with the airport closing down flights between 11 am and 10 pm on Monday due to the cyclone. The Bandra-Worli sea link was also shut.
- Meanwhile, the Indian Navy deployed three of its frontline warships to rescue 410 people on board two barges that went adrift off the coast of Mumbai on Monday. The Navy managed to rescue 146 people as of 6 am on Tuesday morning.