The monstrous cyclone Tauktae has started making landfall in Gujarat at around9 pm on Monday.
“The ESCS Tauktae lies close to the Gujarat coast. Thelandfall process started and will continue for the next 2 hours,” the IndianMeteorological Department tweeted.
It may be noted here that the wind speed could be extreme up to 185/km per hour.
Gujarat Chief Minister has also reached the state control room to monitor the impact of the cyclone Tauktae.
The Gujarat government has shifted over a lakh peopleliving in the coastal areas to safer places. This comes as a response afterthe weather department issued the warning of tidal waves and floods.
Moreover, heavy rainfall is expected over the southerndistricts of Saurashtra and Diu on Tuesday. An orange alert has also been issuedfor heavy rains in Madhya Pradesh.
Concerned about the safety of the public, the Gujaratgovernment has deployed teams from several departments to provide rescue andrelief. Special arrangements, which include ambulances on standby in case ofemergency, have been made for the Covid patients amid this hour of the cyclone.
As a precautionary measure, all ports have been closedtill the time cyclone Tauktae settles.
The Indian Army is also continuously monitoring the situationand has kept nine Engineer Task Force (ETF) teams on standby along with 180relief and rescue teams.
According to the reports, Cyclone Tauktae has claimed six lives leaving severalinjured in Maharashtra while it was crossing the state. In coastal- Karnataka,nearly eight people have died due to the heavy winds. According to the reportof Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority, 121 villages have beenaffected by the monstrous cyclone.
In Mumbai, the cyclone wind speed was recorded at itshighest in the city at 114 kilometers per hour. The city has even witnessed aheavy downpour.
The strong winds also led to the closure of flight operationsfor few hours at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. It may benoted here, the Maharashtra government on May 16 evacuated thousands of peopleresiding near the coastal areas.