Cyclone Tauktae Updates: Cyclone Tauktae has hit Mumbai bringing heavy rains, strong gales of over 75-85 kmph, wreaking havoc by uprooting trees, damaging homes, disrupting road traffic while having created a sense of alarm ahead of its arrival.
As of now, two deaths have been reported. These include youth in Navi Mumbai and another woman in a wall crash in Raigad.
The effects of the cyclone were felt shortly after midnight of Sunday-Monday with many areas witnessing heavy rains, accompanied by lightning and thunder in some places, aggravated by powerful winds, as Tauktae whirled northwards from Sindhudurg-Ratnagiri towards Raigad-Mumbai en route to the Gujarat coast.
Here are 10 important updates/developments to know:
- PM Speaks To CM Uddhav: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday about the Cyclone Tauktae related situation in the state, official sources said. The Prime Minister has assured that Centre will provide all help necessary in tacking the situation.
He also spoke to Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani and Goa CM Pramod Sawant along with Lieutenant Governor of Daman and Diu to discuss preparation and response to the Cyclone.
- IMD Updates: The IMD on Monday afternoon upgraded the warnings for Mumbai with 'extremely heavy rainfall' with gusty winds that will escalate upto 120 kmph, besides gales in Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Thane and Palghar during the day.
People have been asked not to venture outdoors. The Cyclone has now been categorised as 'Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm'.
- Landfall In Gujarat: The cyclone hovering around 160 km away from the Mumbai coast this morning, is likely to make landfall on the south Gujarat coast by midnight tonight, said the IMD's latest warning bulletin.
- Mumbai Airport: Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport which was shut for all operations from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., had extended the shutdown till 4 p.m. The Mumbai Airport operations closure was extended several times and resumed after 10 p.m. Earlier, 3 private airline flights were diverted to less turbulent locations.
- Indian Navy To Rescue 410 Persons: The Indian Navy has deployed 3 ships to rescue at least 410 persons stranded on two barges off the Mumbai coast. The ships are expected to reach the venue by late afternoon, and other ships and aircraft also being prepared to go there for a search and rescue operation in the region clobbered by the passing Cyclone Tauktae.
- Over 12,000 People Shifted: Exercising precaution, State authorities have already shifted out 12,420 people from vulnerable spots along the coast of Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri and Raigad.
- Heavy Rains: Till Monday noon, the city had recorded 79.4 mm rain, while the suburbs notched 44.6 mm, with the south Mumbai bearing the brunt of the downpour.
- Damage So Far: Several roads were littered as at least 30 big and small trees got uprooted in different parts of Mumbai and Thane, during the night, besides minor damage to several homes, major subways in Malad, Kandivali, Dahisar, Andheri, and Santacruz were flooded and closed for traffic, while many low-lying areas were waterlogged.
- Alert Issued: Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar districts are on orange alert while Raigad district is on red alert, Chief Ministers Office informed.
- Rains In Gujarat: Heavy to very heavy rains very likely at a few places with isolated extremely heavy falls in the districts of Saurashtra namely Gir Somnath, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Junagadh, Botad, and in Diu; in the districts of Gujarat region namely Valsad, Navsari and in Daman, Dadra Nagar Haveli, IMD informed.
(With Agency Inputs)