Cyclone Tauktae to reach Gujarat coast on Monday night: IMD

The very extreme cyclonic storm Tauktae is probably going to intensify in the course of the subsequent 24 hours and reach the Gujarat coast on May 17 night, the IMD mentioned.

It would cross the State’s coast between Porbandar and Mahuva in Bhavnagar district by early Tuesday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) mentioned in its newest bulletin on May 16.

Tidal waves are possible to inundate a number of coastal districts in the course of the landfall, it mentioned.

“The very severe cyclonic storm Tauktae over east central Arabian Sea moved nearly northwards with a speed of about 11 kmph during the past six hours,” the bulletin mentioned.

Around 5.30 a.m. on May 16, the cyclone lay centred about 130 km west-southwest of Panjim-Goa, 450 km south of Mumbai, 700 km south-southeast of Veraval (Gujarat) and 840 km southeast of Karachi (Pakistan), it mentioned.

“It is very likely to intensify during the next 24 hours. It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and reach the Gujarat coast in the evening hours of May 17 and cross the State coast between Porbandar and Mahuva in Bhavnagar district around May 18 early morning,” the IMD mentioned.

With the cyclone intensifying, the wind pace alongside and off Gujarat coasts in Porbandar, Junagadh, Gir Somnath and Amreli districts will reach 150-160 kmph gusting to 175 kmph by May 18 morning.

It will reach a pace of 120-150 kmph gusting to 165 kmph over Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar districts throughout the identical interval, the IMD mentioned.

“Gale winds with speed reaching 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph are likely to prevail along and off Valsad, Navsari, Surat, Bharuch, southern parts of Ahmedabad, and Anand districts, as well as Dadra, Nagar Haveli, Daman (Union Territories) from May 17 midnight till Tuesday morning,” it mentioned.

The sea situations will turn out to be “very rough to high” alongside and off the south Gujarat coast from Monday morning, and “very high to phenomenal” from May 17 midnight.

A tidal wave of about 3 metres, 1-2.5 metres above the astronomical tide, is probably going to inundate a number of coastal areas of the State in the course of the time of the landfall, it mentioned.

By May 16 afternoon, the coastal areas of Saurashtra area will begin getting mild to average rainfall, with heavy to very heavy rainfall in remoted locations over Saurashtra and Kutch and Diu on May 17, and very heavy rainfalls at remoted locations on May 18.

Fishermen have been warned not to enterprise into the ocean, the State authorities mentioned, including that 107 out of the 149 fishing boats which have been out into the waters returned to the coast by May 16 morning.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani held a high-level assembly on May 15 and mentioned the State authorities was absolutely ready, whereas the administrations of districts possible to be affected by the cyclonic storm have been alerted.

The authorities was working with “zero casualty” strategy, Mr. Rupani mentioned.

Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed alongside the south Gujarat and Saurashtra coast.

Mr. Rupani mentioned hospitals in coastal areas have been instructed to make sure that remedy of vital COVID-19 sufferers isn’t disrupted in case of energy outage or different adversarial occasions.

All sufferers who’re on oxygen or ventilator needs to be shifted to COVID-19 hospitals in close by districts if wanted, he mentioned.

Ambulances with superior life help programs and ICU ambulances needs to be despatched from different elements of Gujarat to Jamnagar, Rajkot, Kutch and Junagadh, he mentioned.