Extremely severe cyclonic storm Tauktae weakens after crossing Gujarat coast

Extremely severe cyclonic storm Tauktae has weakened into a 'very severe cyclonic storm' after hitting Gujarat coast. Tauktae has now crossed the Gujarat coast and lies overland. India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, Tauktae with winds gusting up to 185 km per hour began making landfall on the Gujarat coast last night.

Apart from Gujarat, the Tauktae also forced governments in coastal areas of Maharashtra, Kerala and Goa to issue s to its citizens and concerned authorities. Dadar and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu have also been put on high . Armed forces and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been carrying out evacuation operations.

Earlier yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Ministers of Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra assuring the Centre's assistance in rescue operations and other relief measures.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani held a meeting with officials of the coastal districts of Valsad and Gir Somnath at the State Control Room in Gandhinagar.

Towns and villages plunged into darkness due to power outages and several trees and electric poles were uprooted in areas near Gujarat's coast. Authorities snapped power supply in many areas of the worst affected coastal districts of Gir Somnath, Amreli, Junagadh, and Bhavnagar as a precautionary measure.

Electric supply to over 23 lakh consumers in western Maharashtra was impacted because of the Tauktae cyclonic storm. Supply to over 56 per cent of the consumers in Palghar, Thane, Kolhapur, Pune, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri and Raigad districts has been restored. Gusty winds reaching the speed of 114 kmph and heavy showers lashed Mumbai and its neighbouring areas yesterday, uprooting trees and disrupting local train services in the metropolis.

Sources from Ahmedabad reports that coastal areas of Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar and Amreli districts are receiving heavy rainfall with high velocity of wind.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani closely monitored the entire process of landfall from the state emergency operation center in Gandhinagar. He also spoke to the concerned district collectors and asked them to ensure all possible steps to save the human lives.

A widespread power outage was reported from Rajula and Jafrabad taluka of Amreli district and Kodinar and Una in Gir Somnath district. The power supply has been disrupted in the coastal districts of Saurashtra due to high-velocity winds and rain. Vehicular traffic has also come to a halt due to uprooted trees falling on highways.

The maximum impact of the cyclonic storm was witnessed in Porbandar, Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Amreli and Bhavnagar districts of Saurashtra. Earlier, more than 2 lakh persons had been evacuated and shifted to the safer places in the coastal districts of Gujarat. About 50 teams of NDRF are engaged in rescue and relief works in the coastal areas of Gujarat.