India
Cyclone Tauktae LIVE Updates: Cyclone Tauktae Weakens After Making Landfall On Gujarat Coast
Gujarat officials said there are no reports of any casualty and that it has weakened. (File)
The landfall process of the eye of extremely severe cyclonic storm Tauktae, which hit the Gujarat coast in Saurashtra region between Diu and Una, ended around midnight, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday.
State officials said there are no reports of any casualty due to the tropical storm and that it has weakened.
The IMD also announced that the cyclone has weakened into a ”very severe cyclonic storm” from the ”extremely severe cyclonic storm”.
“The entire eye of the cyclone has now crossed the coast and lies over land. The rear sector of the eye is now entering the land,” the IMD said in a tweet after midnight. Landfall is the storm moving over the land after its intensification in the ocean (heat source).
The cyclone hit the coast between Diu and Una around 9 pm on Monday and ended around midnight, the IMD said.
Here are the LIVE Updates on Cyclone Tauktae:
SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM ‘TAUKTAE’ WEAKENED INTO A CYCLONIC STORM AND LAY CENTRED AT 1130 HRS IST OVER SAURASHTRA, NEAR LAT. 22.0°N AND LONG. 71.5°E, ABOUT 165 KM SOUTHWEST OF AHMEDABAD. TO MOVE NORTH NORTHEASTWARDS AND WEAKEN GRADUALLY INTO A DEEP DEPRESSION IN NEXT 06 HRS. pic.twitter.com/rIPcCNG39I
– India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 18, 2021
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General SN Pradhan on Tuesday said that the ”worst is over” and Cyclone Tauktae will “become a depression” by today evening.
Pradhan said, “The cyclone has weakened into a cyclonic storm level and probably in another couple of hours it will become a cyclonic system which is a much lower category. By the time it reaches Gujarat coast in the late evening, it would have become a depression…The worst is over”
“Another good news is that the state emergency operation centre (SEOC) of Gujarat has informed us and confirmed that there have been no deaths at all,” he further said adding that there is considerable damage to property and infrastructure.
“Initially there were reports in the morning of hundreds of villages losing electricity but within an hour the electricty has been restored. These are good signs of the disaster response capabilities of India and the states. It will take some more time to complete the restoration,” Mr Pradhan said.
THE SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM ‘TAUKTAE’ LAY CENTRED AT 1030 HRS IST OF 18TH MAY 2021 OVER SAURASHTRA, NEAR LAT. 21.7°N AND LONG. 71.4°E, ABOUT 200 KM SOUTHWEST OF AHMEDABAD, 115 KM SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF SURENDRANAGAR AND 20 KM EAST-NORTHEAST OF AMRELI.
– India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 18, 2021
The Indian Army on Tuesday said that six rescue and relief teams have been activated for rescue and relief operations in Diu in the wake of Cyclone Tauktae.
Six additional Army teams have also been staged forward to Junagarh to deal with aftereffects of cyclone at other cyclone-hit places like Botad, Amreli and Bhavnagar.
The Army team cleared the road between Gir and Diu which was blocked at many places due to fallen trees, debris and damaged electrical wires along with poles.
“Working overnight under adverse climatic conditions, the road between Gir and Diu which was blocked at many places due to fallen trees, debris and damaged electrical wires along with poles was cleared by the Army teams restoring movement of essential supplies, medical support and civil traffic to cyclone-hit Diu,” it said.
ONGC is taking all possible measures in coordination with ODAG (Offshore Defence Advisory Group) and MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) to ensure the safety of personnel and vessels: ONGC
Six Army rescue and relief teams activated for rescue and relief operations in Diu. Six additional Army teams have been staged forward to Junagarh to deal with aftereffects of cyclone at other cyclone-hit places like Botad, Amreli & Bhavnagar: Indian Army
