The India Meteorological Department has confirmed the progression of storm ‘Tauktae’ which has formed over the Arabian Sea, from a Sever Cyclonic storm to know what is categorized as a Very Sever Cyclonic storm. Over a 150,000 citizens from the Low-lying coastal areas of Gujarat are now being evacuated to safety as ‘Tauktae’ is predicted to reach the coastal line of Gujarat by Monday evening and will proceed to travel over the area Tuesday morning. 54 teams consisting of the NDRF and the SDRF remain deployed to handle the disaster rescue/relief operations.
“The cyclonic storm “Tauktae” has further intensified into an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm (ESCS) at 000 UTC and lay centered at 18.5N/71.5E, with a ragged eye, Very Severe Cyclonic Storm “Tauktae” over the East-central Arabian Sea intensified into an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm: Cyclone Warning & post-landfall outlook for Gujarat & Diu coasts (Red message),”The IMD tweeted Monday morning.
Likely landfall between Gujarat’s Mahuva and Porbandar areas (close to Diu) has been predicted by Skymet, a private organization providing weather forecast and solutions. They further said, “A swathe of 100 km on either side of the anticipated strike always remains vulnerable,” 25,000 people have already been moved to safety says Pankaj Kumar, the Gujarat Additional Chief Secretary.
24 Civil wards of the metropolitan area have been equipped with five temporary shelters each for the purpose of housing citizens who have had to evacuate their residence. As Tauktae is predicted to pass through at close proximity to the Coast of Mumbai the IMD had further issue an Orange alert to the state of Mumbai warning the residents of heavy rainfall and strong winds in isolated locations.
Officials say the National Disaster Response Force teams stationed in the Western suburbs of Mumbai have been alerted whilst the Indian Navy is also kept on standby. Whilst it is not confirmed that the cyclonic winds were the cause it has been reported that there have been two casualties and one injury when a tree collapsed onto a hut in Jalgaon, North Maharashtra.
