Cyclonic Storm “Tauktae” over Eastcentral Arabian Sea, moving towards Gujarat coast

According to the National Weather Forecasting Centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Very Severe Cyclonic Storm “Tauktae” (pronounced as Tau’Te) over eastcentral Arabian Sea moved nearly northwards with a speed of about 11 kmph during past few hours.  It lay centred at 0830 hours IST of today, the 16^th May, 2021 over eastcentral Arabian Sea near latitude 15.3°N and longitude 72.7°E, about 120 km west-southwest of Panjim-Goa, 420 km south of Mumbai, 660 km south-southeast of Veraval (Gujarat) and 810 km southeast of Karachi (Pakistan).

It is very likely to intensify further during next 24 hours and likely to move north-north-westwards and reach Gujarat coast in the evening hours of 17^th & cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar & Mahuva (Bhavnagar district) around 18^th May early morning. During the day today, gale-force winds, heavy rainfall and high tidal waves swept the coastal belt of Kerala, Karnataka and Goa as the cyclone raced northwards towards Gujarat. At least four people died and hundreds of houses damaged, due to storms and heavy rains on coastal states. Electricity has been disrupted and people forced to evacuate to safer areas and relief camps. Gale wind speed reaching 130–140 kmph gusting to 155 kmph is prevailing over eastcentral Arabian Sea. It is likely to increase over eastcentral Arabian Sea becoming 145-155 kmph gusting to 170 kmph from 16^th May mid-night. An estimated 1.5 lakh people are being shifted from low-lying coastal areas in Gujarat while 54 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed in the state.

Following the high level review meeting taken by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, on 15^th May 2021, Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah chaired a review meeting through video conferencing with the Chief Ministers of Gujarat and Maharashtra and Administrator of Daman & Diu and Dadra Nagar Haveli, to assess the preparedness of States/ UT and Central Ministries/ Agencies concerned, to deal with the situation arising out of Cyclone ‘Tauktae’. A 24×7 control room is functioning in MHA, which can be contacted at any time for any assistance by the States. The Indian Coast Guard, the Navy, Army and Air Force units have also been put on standby and surveillance aircraft and helicopters are carrying out aerial sorties.Union Home Minister directed the senior officers to take every possible measure to ensure that people are safely evacuated and all essential services maintained, including health and oxygen facilities, power, telecommunications, drinking water etc. and that these are restored immediately in the event of damages caused to them.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) informed that they have deployed/made available 79 teams in the affected states and 22 additional teams have also been kept in readiness. Rescue and relief teams of the Army, Navy and the Coast Guard alongwith ships and aircraft have also been deployed.

PIB