Cyclone Tauktae HIGHLIGHTS: 50 NDRF Teams Deployed, 1.5 Lakh People Evacuated As Storm Charges Towards Gujarat
Cyclone Tauktae HIGHLIGHTS: The IMD has issued an ‘orange alert’ which means heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over the entire Konkan and hilly areas of western Maharashtra, mainly Kolhapur and Satara on Sunday and Monday. Currently, the storm is 480kms away from Mumbai and is expected to hit the city by evening.
Maharashtra: Two sisters, 17 years old and 12 years old, lost their lives while their mother suffered serious injuries after a tree uprooted and collapsed on their hut due to strong cyclonic winds in Anchalwadi area of Jalgaon around 3 pm today, says NDRF.
70 houses, two anganwadis, a primary school, and a gram panchayat office damaged due to cyclonic winds in Bhorgiri and Bhivegaon villages of Khed tehsil in Pune today
Over 50 NDRF teams are being deployed in Gujarat. We're working on evacuation & awareness generation. Some people have died in Tamil Nadu due to wall collapse & electrocution. Some people have died in Karnataka: NDRF DG SN Pradhan
Karnataka Minister Shivaram Hebbar informed that one person lost live while 71 houses, 76 fishing boats, and 271 electric poles were damaged In 5 taluks of Uttara Kannada due to cyclone
Massive deployment of ICG assets towards preventive measures for cyclone ‘Tauktae’ has translated into 37 ship days & 75 aircraft hours at sea till date ensuring safe return of over 5600 boats, alerting/safe routeing of 335 merchant vessels & timely rescue of 6 personnel. 40 Coast Guard Disaster Relief Teams with inflatable boats, lifejackets are on standby all along the western coast for undertaking disaster response operations. Medical teams & ambulances have also been kept stand by for swift mobilisation: Indian Coast Guard
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, "Two deaths have been reported in Goa. More than 500 trees have fallen. Around 100 major houses and 100 minor houses were damaged. Roads are blocked. The power supply is disrupted."
Very severe cyclonic storm is very likely to intensify further during next 24 hours. It is very likely to cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar & Mahuva (Bhavnagar district) around 18 May early morning: IMD
Gujarat Energy Minister Saurabh Patel briefs prepareness to tackle cyclone amid Covid pandemic. "We're fully prepared. In all 12 districts of Saurashtra which are likely to be affected by Cyclone Tauktae, special arrangements have been made in COVID hospitals -- from materials to manpower. Dual power supply arrangement has been done," said Saurabh Patel.
"2000 personnel of Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation have been deployed. Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Ltd has fully prepared itself to restore electricity at the earliest if the cyclone causes any damage," the minister added.
Light thunderstorm with lightning & surface wind 30- 40 kmph (in gust) accompanied with light to moderate rain is very likely to occur at isolated places in Gujarat's Sabarkantha, Aravalli, Narmada, Tapi, Surat, Bharuch, Dang & Dahod in during next 3 hours: IMD
Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar has informed that cyclone Tauktae has crossed Goa and it is near Ratnagiri now.
"We are monitoring the situation. This cyclone can create a huge problem. Our teams including lifeguards are deployed near the sea. We've trimmed all huge trees and police are patroling," Kishori Pednekar said.
The IMDB has advised fishermen not to venture into Eastcentral Arabian Sea along and off Karnataka coast till 17th Morning and into Eastcentral Arabian Sea and along and off Maharashtra–Goa coasts and into Northeast Arabian Sea along and off Gujarat coast till 18th May.
BJP president JP Nadda held a meeting with party MPs, MLAs, and state office bearers of Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Daman & Diu, and Gujarat through video conferencing regarding the relief work for Cyclone Tauktae.
Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre has informed that scattered to widespread very light to moderate rains with isolated heavy rains likely over coastal & north interior region and scattered to widespread very light to moderate rains likely over Malnad & south interior districts.
In the past 24 hours, heavy to extremely heavy rainfall was observed over 6 districts, 3 coastal districts and 3 Malnad districts. So far, 4 people have lost their lives, 73 villages affected.
All local, suburban and EMU train services over West Bengal will continue to remain suspended till further advice. Services of other Special Trains, Mail/Express Special trains, Parcel Trains and Freight Trains will continue to run as per schedule, till further advice: West Bengal government announced.
Cyclone is expected to reach the Gujarat Coast in the morning of May 18 with wind speeds ranging from 150 to 160 km/hour speed accompanied by squally winds, heavy rainfall & storm surge in the coastal districts of the state: IMD.
The cyclone 'Taukte' has caused strong winds and heavy rains in many parts of Goa, due to which the electric poles were uprooted and the power supply was disrupted in many areas. Officials said that no casualty has been reported so far. Goa Energy Minister Nilesh Cabral said that due to the strong winds, electric poles have been uprooted and there is no electricity in most parts of the city.
Cyclone Tauktae has intensified into a "very severe cyclonic storm". It is very likely to reach Gujarat coast in evening hours of May 17 and cross it between Porbandar and Mahuva around May 18 early morning: India Meteorological Department
National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba met today to review the preparedness of Central and State Ministries/Agencies to deal with Cyclonic Storm ‘ Tauktae’ in the Arabian Sea.
Cyclone Tauktae is 150 kms away from Goa and likely to hit the coast by evening. The speed of the storm is likely to increase by 160km/hr. Goa is already witnessing heavy rainfall and strong winds
The CMO said, " With Cyclone Tauktae wreaking havoc in the coastal districts of the state, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday asked district in-charge Ministers and Deputy Commissioners to visit affected areas and carry out rescue and relief works. Yediyurappa on Sunday called Ministers incharge of coastal districts and Deputy Commissioners there and took stock of the situation there."
Due to cyclone Tauktae, heavy to extremely heavy rainfall was observed over 6 districts, 3 coastal districts, and 3 Malnad districts in the past 24 hours. So far, 4 people have lost their lives, 73 villages affected: Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA).
Karnataka and Kerala are witnessing heavy rainfall and waterlogging in most parts of the state. Some houses near the coastal areas have been washed off. Relief operation is underway
Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray will attend a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah at 11:30 am to discuss Maharashtra’s preparedness for Cyclone Tauktae.
Cyclone Tauktae is very likely to keep moving in north northwest direction. By late afternoon, its centre will be north-northwest of Goa. Gale winds and rainfall will continue for almost the entire day: India Meteorological Department (IMD)
The CS Tauktae lay centred at 2330 IST of 15th May over Arabian Sea about 170 km southwest of Panjim-Goa, 520 km south of Mumbai. It is very likely to intensify into a VSCS, cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar & Mahuva (Bhavnagar district) around 18th May early morning.
Background
Winds peaked over Mumbai on Saturday night as the Cyclone and its accompanying storm hit the coast of Kerala and Karnataka. Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday said that Cyclone Tauktae is likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm and will cross the Gujarat coast in the morning of May 18.
"Severe cyclonic storm Tauktae (It is pronounced as Tau’Te) intensified overnight into a very severe cyclonic storm over the east-central Arabian Sea, said IMD". 100 rescue teams are deployed for six states - Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Goa.
The NDRF has pre-positioned 42 teams, which are equipped with boats, tree-cutters, telecom equipments etc. in six states and has kept 26 teams on standby.
The Indian Coast Guard and the Navy have deployed ships and helicopters for relief, search and rescue operations. Air Force and Engineer task force units of Army, with boats and rescue equipment, are on standby for deployment.
The Western Railway has said that many trains will be cancelled/short terminated due to the cyclone warning in the coastal Gujarat region on May 17 and May 18.
In a tweet, the IMD said on Sunday morning, "The CS Tauktae lay centred at 2330 IST of 15th May over the Arabian Sea about 170 km southwest of Panjim-Goa, 520 km south of Mumbai. It is very likely to intensify into a VSCS, cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva (Bhavnagar district) around 18th May early morning."
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