MANGALURU: A thunderstorm wreaked havoc in parts of Mangaluru city on Thursday night. Around 2 am, a tree fell on a transformer and crushed four cars at Babugudde. The stormy weather was due to depression in the southwest of Arabian Sea. The fisheries department issued a warning of 48 hours turbulent sea weather on Wednesday.
An official alert from the disaster management division of the ministry of home affairs was passed on to the harbour and to the fisher folk through the fisheries, said deputy commissioner Sasikanth Senthil S.
A communiqué by the disaster management division issued on Thursday and delivered to district authorities on Friday warned the consequence of an intensified cyclonic storm ‘Sagar’ over the Gulf of Aden (near Yemen).
The gale wind speed was expected to reach 80 km to 90 km around the south west Arabian sea on Thursday and Friday and then gradually decrease. The sea condition was assessed to be high. Fishermen were advised to avoid venturing into the sea till Saturday.
The city was awash in heavy showers and experienced thunderstorm on Thursday night.
“I am glad my children were asleep because of the roaring thunder,” said Raj from Urwastore. Another local Ashar from Bikarnakatte said what felt like buckets of water being poured on his house lasted for five hours. DC said there were no casualties reported yet at sea or in farmlands.