Mumbai and neighbouring areas on Wednesday have braced up for Cyclone Nisarga that slammed the coast with wind speeds of up to 120 kmph after tens of thousands of people in its path were evacuated. Trains were rescheduled, flights cancelled and fishermen were ordered out of the seas while rescue workers were put on standby.
Nisarga blew in from the Arabian Sea, making landfall at the coastal town Alibaug at around 12.30 pm, the process of which finished by 4 pm, officials said.
Already battered by the raging COVID-19 pandemic, Mumbai will be hit by a cyclone for the first time in 72 years, Adam Soebel, a professor of atmospheric science at Columbia University in New York, tweeted.
Earlier, Soebel had said the last severe cyclone to hit Mumbai was in 1891, but on Wednesday, he corrected to say the city was hit by a cyclone in 1948.
"It is likely to cross with an intensity of a severe cyclonic storm close to south of Alibaug," India Meteorological Department (IMD) Mumbai's deputy director general of meteorology K S Hosalikar said.
"At that time, its speed is likely to be 100 kmph to 110 kmph," he added.
Earlier, IMD Director-General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra cautioned people to stay safe as the cyclone is likely to inflict serious damage and uproot trees, damage thatched houses and so on. He also advised against operating any road and rail traffic.
The IMD has also predicted light to moderate rainfall at most places with isolated heavy rainfall very likely over coastal Karnataka and Marathawada during the next six hours.
India head coach Ravi Shastri on Wednesday shared a short video of cyclone Nisarga rampaging through the town of Alibag in Maharashtra. In the video, high speed wind is lashing hard on the trees in the area and displacing things from their original places. (WATCH VIDEO)
6 flights diverted and 1 cancelled due to weather conditions at Pune Airport, Maharashtra today: Airport Director
The Mumbai unit of the Congress has set up a "control room" to assist people in view of the threat posed by the severe cyclonic storm 'Nisarga' that made landfall in Raigad on Wednesday. The Maharashtra Congress gave this information on its official Twitter handle. "The Congress is always ready to help you," said the party on the micro-blogging site. It also shared the contact numbers of its key leaders from Mumbai, including Maharashtra ministers Varsha Gaikwad and Aslam Shaikh, Mumbai wing chief Eknath Gaikwad and party leaders from the city including Ravi Raja and others.
A 58-year-old man died after an electric pole fell on him in Alibag area of Raigad, Maharashtra today: District Collector Nidhi Choudhari.
After storming the Maharashtra coast with wind speeds of up to 120 kmph on Wednesday afternoon, Cyclone Nisarga has started weakening and its intensity will reduce further by evening, the India Meteorological Department said. The landfall of the cyclone began at 12.30 PM at Alibaug and the process was completed by 2.30 PM, IMD director general Mrutunjay Mohapatra said.
The storm lay 75 kilometres southeast of Mumbai and 65 kilometres west of Pune. It has started weakening. The wind speed is currently 90-100 kilometres per hour and the intensity will reduce further by evening, he said.
The cyclone will further weaken into a cyclonic storm by evening and into a deep depression by late night, an IMD bulletin said.
As cyclonic storm Nisarga lashed the coast of Maharashtra on Wednesday, NCP chief Sharad Pawar urged his party workers to help people at the time of the natural disaster, PTI reported. In a statement, Pawar noted that the cyclone has caused severe damage to public and private properties and asked NCP workers to help those affected by the phenomenon.
Several low-lying areas in Maharashtra's Pune inundated due to rains brought by Cyclone Nisarga; incidents of trees falling due to gusty winds also reported in some parts of the city: Officials
Severe cyclonic storm Nisarga has crossed Raigad District that is now experiencing post-landfall effect with a wind speed of 90-100kmph in Mumbai and Thane followed by moderate to heavy to very heavy rainfall, says Shubhangi Bhute, Scientist, IMD, Mumbai
Authorities in Mumbai, which is struggling to contain the pandemic, evacuated nearly 150 COVID-19 patients from a recently built field hospital to a facility with a concrete roof as a precautionary measure, AFP reported.
Till 19:00 hrs, no take-off or landings would take place at the airport due to Cyclone Nisarga, says release from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai. The airport, earlier on Wednesdayl, witnessed a runway excursion with FedEx flight 5033 arriving from Bengaluru. The aircraft was towed away from the runway, and there was no disruption caused.
Since the city has been experiencing rain, authorities at the Veermata Jijabai Udyan, also popularly known as Byculla Zoo which is spread over an area of 50 acres, are taking all steps to protect the animals against the rough weather and avoid any damage due to tree falls. Carnivores like tigers, leopards and hyenas have been shifted to the holding areas, an official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said.
About 43 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are deployed in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Of this, 21 are in Maharashtra. Nearly 1 lakh people have been evacuated from the cyclone spot: SN Pradhan, NDRF Director General
Vehicular movement on iconic Bandra-Worli sea link in Mumbai was suspended on Wednesday in light of cyclone 'Nisarga' which began landfall near Alibaug, about 95 km from Mumbai, police said.
"In light of #CycloneNisarga, no vehicular movement is permitted on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link," tweeted Mumbai Police. (PTI)
Vehicular movement on iconic Bandra-Worli sea link in Mumbai was suspended on Wednesday in light of cyclone 'Nisarga' which began landfall near Alibaug, about 95 km from Mumbai, police said.
"In light of #CycloneNisarga, no vehicular movement is permitted on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link," tweeted Mumbai Police. (PTI)
Around 50,000 people from Gujarat and around 4000 from Union Territory of Daman have been shifted to safer places ahead of cyclone Nisarga making a landfall in the region.
Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar on Wednesday urged people from the state's coastal belt to stay in safer places ahead of cyclone Nisarga making a landfall.
As cyclone Nisarga intensified this morning, it is expected to make a landfall in Maharashtra's norther coast between 1pm and 4 pm, said IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra.
The Central Railways has rescheduled, diverted and regulated some trains from Mumbai in view of the cyclonic storm which is set to make a landfall at Alibaug today afternoon.
Coming on the heels of the record-breaking storm, Cyclone Amphan, which battered coastal West Bengal, Odisha and Bangladesh on May 20, climate scientists say with a rapidly warming Indian Ocean, these severe cyclones are projected to increase in number on both the east and the west coast of India. Climate change is increasing the damage that cyclones like Nisarga and Amphan cause in several ways like increasing sea surface temperatures that can make cyclones more powerful, increasing the rainfall intensity during the storm and rising sea levels, which increases the distance inland that storm surges reach. (READ FULL REPORT)
Ahead of the expected landfall of cyclone 'Nisarga' in Alibaug in Maharashtra's Raigad district, Mumbai and its metropolitan areas received rainfall since Monday evening, which intensified later in the night. (READ MORE)
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport will be operating only 12 arrival flights on June 3. The flights will be operated by 4 airlines which include Air Asia India, Air India, GoAir and SpiceJet to 10 sectors: GVK Mumbai International Airport.
IndiGo has cancelled 17 flights to and from Mumbai, to only operate three flights from Mumbai tomorrow.
Mumbai- Chandigarh, Mumbai - Ranchi and Mumbai - PatnaWe need to evacuate around 21,000 people who live along the coastline. We've made arrangements for hand washing, sanitisers, masks & social distancing will be maintained at the evacuation shelters: Kailash Shinde, Palghar Dist Collector, Maharashtra.
PM Narendra Modi had a telephone conversation today with US Pres Donald Trump. Pres Trump extended an invitation to PM Modi to attend the next G-7 Summit to be held in USA: Prime Minister's Office
Power supply may be cut in some places in case of heavy rain, flooding due to cyclone, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said. He also advised people to avoid unnecessary use of electric equipment. He added that those living between Palghar to Sindhudurg need to stay extra vigilant in the wake of cyclone.
Six teams of SDRF and 13 teams of NDRF have been deployed in the districts of South Gujarat and Saurashtra for rescue operations. Out of the 13 teams of NDRF, 2 teams every have been deployed in Valsad district, Navsari, Bharuch, Surat, Anand, Kheda, Somnath, Amreli and Bhavnagar. While 3 teams have been saved in reserve.
Winds will gust at over 100 kmph. We are praying that it weakens. But from what we are getting to see, it is going to have an impact on our coastal region. Army, Navy, Air Force, NDRF, SDRF are on standby. From June 3, we were planning our Unlock1, but we need to stay home now. Our focus is to reduce the impact of the cyclone: CM Uddhav Thackeray
The last cyclone to hit Mumbai was cyclonic storm 'Phyan' on November 11, 2009. Nisarga is currently located around 400 km from Mumbai as a deep depression. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the cyclonic storms will strengthen into severe cyclonic storms and cross Maharashtra and Gujarat coast between Harihareshwar and Daman, close to Alibag in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Wednesday afternoon.
In order to ensure uninterrupted telecom connectivity in Maharashtra, Mumbai and Gujarat in the wake of Cyclone Nisarga, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on Tuesday held a meeting with all telecom services and infrastructure providers on their preparedness. These included Tower & Infrastructure Providers Association (TAIPA) and the Cellular Operators Association of India.
'Nisarga', which is currently brewing in the Arabian Sea, means nature and was termed by India's neighbouring country -- Bangladesh. The name was accorded in a list formulated by a group of countries. Bangladesh had also suggested 'Fani', which had made a landfall in Odisha on May 3, 2019. The extremely severe cyclone had caused extensive damage. The naming of cyclones in the Indian Ocean began in 2000 and a formula was agreed in 2004. The next few cyclones will be named Gati (named by India), Nivar (Iran), Burevi (Maldives), Tauktae (Myanmar) and Yaas (Oman).
Town planning authority MMRDA on Tuesday said that nearly 150 patients at its COVID facility in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC)have been shifted to another location as a precaution in the wake of the Nisarga Cyclone which is expected to make a landfall close to the city tomorrow, PTI reported.
According to the meteorological department, the cyclonic storm 'Nisarga' over the Arabian Sea is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm in the next 12 hours.
The deep depression in the Arabian Sea has intensified into a cyclonic storm and will cross north Maharashtra and south Gujarat coasts on June 3, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday. "Deep depression intensified into a cyclonic storm around noon today," IMD Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra said.
20,000 people from villages near Gujarat coast to be evacuated ahead of cyclone: Officials
As many as 577 fishing boats from Palghar had earlier gone out in the sea and till Monday evening, 477 returned, Collector Kailas Shinde said. Efforts were made to bring the remaining 100 also back to the shore.
) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday reviewed the preparations in Gujarat and Maharashtra for an impending cyclone and assured the chief ministers of the two western states all possible central help to deal with any situation arising out of it, reported PTI.
The Maharashtra government on Monday sounded an alert in Mumbai and neighbouring districts in view of the approaching cyclonic storm "Nisarg", which is expected to hit the state's coast on June 3. Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to CM Uddhav Thackeray through video conference and took stock of the state's preparedness to tackle any eventuality, the latter's office said. 10 NDRF units have been deployed in vulnerable districts, while six others have been kept on a stand-by, officials said.
In anticipation of a cyclonic storm making landfall on the Gujarat coast on June 3, the state government on Monday ordered evacuation of people living in low-lying areas and deployed 10 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in over half a dozen districts, reports PTI.