Cyclone Tauktae News: Winds with speed up to 185 kilometres per hour can hit Gujarat.
New Delhi:
Army units have been deployed in Gujarat as “extremely severe” Cyclone Tauktae hurtled towards the state, unleashing devastatingly rapid winds. The storm is likely to cross the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva tonight.
Here are the top 10 updates on Cyclone Tauktae:
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“With the impending landfall of the extremely severe cyclonic storm forecast in coastal areas of Gujarat, Indian Army units and formations have prepared themselves with substantial teams along with elements of communication and engineer task forces to provide relief and all kinds of assistance,” an Army statement read.
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Cyclone Tauktae is now moving towards Diu, away from Mumbai. It has brought rains to Gujarat, where it will make landfall in the next few hours. Extremely powerful winds with speed up to 185 kilometres per hour – enough to uproot trees and electricity poles – are likely to hit the state as well, the weather office has predicted.
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The Gujarat government shifted over a lakh people living in coastal areas to safer places after the India Meteorological Department issued warnings of tidal waves and flooding. The weather office has said extremely heavy downpour over the southern districts of Saurashtra and Diu is expected on Tuesday as well. It has also issued an orange alert for heavy rains in Madhya Pradesh.
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The Gujarat government has deployed teams from several departments to provide rescue and relief. Special arrangements have been made in hospitals treating COVID-19 patients to ensure uninterrupted electricity. Hundreds of ambulances have been kept on standby to shift patients in cases of emergency, news agency PTI reported. The authorities have closed ports as precaution.
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The authorities in Gujarat are also concerned about the safety of Asiatic lions in the Saurashtra region. “There are around 40 lions in some patches in coastal Saurashtra, and we are monitoring them. Some lions have already moved to higher grounds. We are keeping fingers crossed, and praying the lions will be safe,” Shyamal Tikadar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests in Gujarat, told Reuters.
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Yesterday, Maharashtra evacuated thousands of people living in coastal areas to safety. Covid patients were also moved to make-shift facilities. In Mumbai, Cyclone Tauktae today triggered strong winds with the highest-ever speed of 114 kilometres per hour. The city has been pummelled with heavy rains as well.
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In Mumbai, flight operations at the city’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport have been halted. The Bandra-Worli sea-link has been closed for traffic because of strong winds, which have caused damage to many structures in the city.
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National Disaster Response Force chief SN Pradhan told NDTV that doctors and medical staff have been sent to the affected states along with 100 rescue and relief teams. Only Covid-vaccinated personnel have been deployed, he added. The teams are also carrying machines that can cut through fallen trees. In cyclone shelters, social distancing and other anti-Covid rules are being enforced.
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The Navy is on standby in Gujarat and was engaged in search and rescue ops in Kerala on Sunday. The Army is continuously monitoring the situation. 180 relief and rescue teams and nine Engineer Task Forces (ETFs) are on standby.
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Eight people have died as the cyclone hit coastal Karnataka, news agency PTI has reported. According to a report by Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority, 121 villages in seven districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan and Belagavi have been affected by the cyclone.