Cyclone Tauktae expected to cross Gujarat coast between 8 pm and 11 pm on Monday

Gandhinagar, May 17, 2021

The extremely severe cyclonic storm "Tauktae" (pronounced as Tau'Te), over eastcentral Arabian Sea, is expected to crosss the Gujarat coast, between Porbandar and Mahuva in Bhavanagar district, east of Diu, between 8 pm and 11 pm tonight with maximum sustained windspeed of 155-165 kmph, gusting to 185 kmph.

An update issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) at 1230 hours said Tauktae lay centred at 1130 hours of today near latitude 19.2°N and longitude 71.5°E, about 145 km west of Mumbai in Maharashtra and 180 southeast of the Union Territory of Diu.

The cyclon was moving nearly northwards with a speed of 15 kmph during the past six hours, it said.

The IMD said light to moderate rainfall was very likely to occur over most places in Saurashtra, Diu and adjoining Gujarat region today, with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places and extremely heavy falls at isolated places. There were likely to be heavy to very heavy falls at a few places over Gujarat region and at isolated places over Saurashtra tomorrow.

Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall was also likely over Kutch during the same period.

Gale winds wih speed reaching 70-80 kmph, gusting to 90 kmph, is prevailing along and off South Gujarat and Daman & Diu coasts. They are likely to increase and become gale winds with speed reaching 155-165 kmph, gusting to 185 kmph, along and off the Gujarat coast over Amreli, Bhavnagar, Junagarh, Gir Somnath districts, 120-140 kmph, gusting to 165 kmph over Bharuch, Anand, South Ahmedabad, Botad, 90-100 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph over Dev Bhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Rajkot, Morbi and Kheda districts from tonight till tomorrow morning.

The update said that gale winds with speed reaching 80-90 kmph, gusting to 100 kmph, were likely to prevail along and off Dadra, Nagar Haveli, Daman, Valsad, Navsari, Surat and Surendranagar districts from this evening itll tomorrow morning.

The IMD said heavy to very heavy rainfall was continuing over the North Konkan area, including Mumbai. Winds with speed 80-90 kmph, gusting to 100 kmph, were prevailing along and off North Maharashtra coast.

NNN