Cyclone Tauktae: 4 killed in Karnataka, Maharashtra CM to attend meeting with home minister Amit Shah
The IMD warned that the sea condition over eastcentral Arabian Sea will be very high to phenomenal on May 16 and over northeast Arabian Sea on May 17 and 18 and advised the fishermen to keep away from the waters.
Four people were killed and 73 villages destroyed in six districts of Karnataka due to Cyclone Tauktae, according to state disaster management authority on Sunday. Out of these six districts, three are coastal and three belong to the hilly region of the state in Western Ghats, the KSDMA further said.
"We are closely monitoring the cyclone situation in coastal areas. I am in contact with district in-charge ministers and DCs of the affected districts to ensure rescue and relief operations," said Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa.
Meanwhile, the cyclone is "very likely" to keep moving in north-northwest direction, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. By late afternoon, its centre will be north-northwest of Goa, it added.
Watch: Cyclone Tauktae intensifies into 'very severe cyclonic storm'
Under the impact of Cyclone Tauktae, gale winds and rainfall will continue for almost the entire day, the IMD said, which earlier on Sunday issued a statement confirming that the storm has intensified into "very severe cyclonic storm".
"The Severe Cyclonic Storm Tauktae over eastcentral Arabian Sea moved nearly northwards with a speed of about 09 kmph during past 06 hours, intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm and lay centred at 0230 hours IST of today, May 16, 2021 over eastcentral Arabian Sea near latitude 14.7°N and longitude 72.7°E, about 150 km southwest of Panjim-Goa, 490 km south of Mumbai, 730 km south-southeast of Veraval (Gujarat) and 870 km south-southeast of Karachi (Pakistan)," the IMD said in the statement.
Meanwhile, the office of Maharashtra chief minister tweeted to say Uddhav Thackeray will attend a meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah at 11:30 am to discuss Maharashtra’s preparedness for Cyclone Tauktae.
Maharashtra is one of the five vulnerable states which have been affected by the movement of the cyclone.
Light to moderate rainfall at many places in Gujarat is very likely to commence over coastal districts of Saurashtra from May 16 afternoon, with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over Saurashtra and Kutch and Diu and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places on May 17 on May 18, according to the IMD.
The IMD warned that the sea condition over eastcentral Arabian Sea will be very high to phenomenal on May 16 and over northeast Arabian Sea on May 17 and 18 and advised the fishermen to keep away from the waters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting in New Delhi on Saturday to review the preparedness of states and central agencies concerned to deal with the situation arising out of cyclone 'Tauktae'.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has kept 16 transport aircraft and 18 helicopters operation ready as a preparation for the cyclone.
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